Louie's flat-roofed brick row house looks solid enough, but it is slowly sinking into the ground.Built over a rubble-filled bomb crater, the house bears the marks of war for which patching plaster cracks is only a temporary solution.

I value peace more when I sit in the living room of that home.Louie and Luke finish off the PlayStation 2 game they've been playing.I look at the ultra-modern light fixtures Louie's dad has chosen for their home.The sleek black and gray lines of the room contrast with the furry white rug that lies before the sofa.The stark colors and intense textures speak of strength; they make the house seem untouchable—unalterable.But, Louie's dad has taken Jim into the hallway to show him the jagged cracks in the wall—like the timelines in the face of an old seaman.The gravitational pull of a home into a bomb's pit.Sixty years later, and the devastation continues.

Now, this pit was made by a bombardier with good intentions.At the beginning of World War II, Merelbeke, our town, was the site of the second largest railway switching station in Belgium.There were 73 tracks and enormous sheds full of locomotives.Belgium was occupied by the Germans, and the Allied Forces needed to destroy train lines in order to cripple the Germans' ability to transport troops and supplies.There were three separate bombing raids over a nine-month period before the job was done.

The first bombing took place on Sunday, September 5, 1943.A Sunday was chosen in an attempt to avoid as many casualties as possible.Most of the bombs fell in the neighborhoods around the station, missing the station itself.At least one hit the Catholic church where mass has just ended.On that day 111 residents were killed.

The second bombing took place on April 10, 1944.At 11 pm, 118 bombers dropped their bombs on the sleeping town.Within 20 minutes, 600 houses were totally destroyed and more than 1000 others were damaged.In addition, many water towers used in the local floral industry were hit.The deluge of released water streamed into cellars where people had fled for cover from the bombs, and many families perished by drowning.In total, there were 428 civilian casualties, and another 286 civilians were badly wounded.With this bombing, 1816 craters like the one sucking up Louie's house were left.

The third bombing finally damaged the train station beyond use.That time there were "only" 48 casualties.Another 600 houses were destroyed, and another 400 were severely damaged.

Hitler had to be stopped.There's no question about that.He and his army killed millions.Perhaps Merelbeke's sacrifice seems small in comparison.But, when I sit by Louie and Luke, those falling bombs of 60 years ago seem a lot closer and a lot more real to me.

The theme of Merelbeke's remembrance of their tragedy is "60 Years is Not So Long Ago…"There are many events planned to commemorate those dark days of '43 and '44.Folks who remember living through those days are gathering to talk about their experiences.Lectures are planned to educate those of us who want to know more about what happened.Memorial services are planned for the hundreds who lost their lives.

What a reminder of how badly our world needs to know the Prince of Peace!We try to work our way through squabbles that come up from time to time.With measured success, we move on to the next thing on our agenda.But, do we really cultivate peace?How often do we leave behind a crater that can slowly suck us under?

Daniel Buttry, our ABC global specialist for peace and justice issues, has written a Bible study series on conflict transformation.It came to us by email at the same time we received Merelbeke's flier about the "60 Years" activities.We're translating Dan's work for use by our congregation on Wednesday nights.It is interesting to talk about conflict transformation with folks who live where war, the deadliest form of conflict, has been waged.We pray that we can all learn how, with God's help, to transform conflict into positive opportunities for growth.Surely, this is the only way to prevent more families from dying or from living with the long-term scars of war.

Belgium, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, New York City…the list goes on and on…

Please pray for:

-Regional ABC missionary gatherings being held in April and May

-A woman who is going through a divorce and her children

-Registration for Flemish-speaking children's camp

-Belgian pastors who live on very limited incomes

Your fellow servants,

Debbie along with Jim, Luke and Ben Kelsey