“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted; a time to kill, and a time to heal…” (Ecclesiastes 3:2-3). There is a different vibe in Germany compared to when Lula and I began our missionary work here some 4½ years ago. In addition to the steady stream of immigrants, what has altered the political climate most was Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 (intensifying a war that Russia had started eight years earlier, when it attacked Crimea). Flashback: enjoying the “peace dividend” post-1990, most central European countries allowed their militaries to atrophy. But they have now come to realize that the Soviet Union never really went away: it just lost its “colonies” and changed its name. Central Europeans are now realizing that they need to beef up their militaries to deter further Russian advances westward. As such, as of January 1, 2026, every 18-year-old male in Germany will be required to provide personal data, allowing the German Armed Forces to rebuild from their current 181,000 soldiers to the 260,000 troops needed to defend the homeland. While this is not yet a reinstatement of the draft, it is a step in that direction. Note that male *residents*—not only German citizens—will be required to provide their personal data. This sea change will affect our young Persians at Zion Lutheran in Hamburg, where I serve. What impact will this new law have on the immigration of Muslims and others to Germany? What if the draft comes back? Will it make the land between the North Sea and the Alps less attractive for refugees? King Solomon, the author of Ecclesiastes, knew that there is a time for everything. Taking a cue from him, The Byrds in the 1960s put his words to music. May the Lord continue to guide us Christians through the twists and turns of history as we spread the Gospel—regardless of the season.
The Tiews in Germany 