A nation gathers before God to seek comfort and mourn

At noon today in the magnificent Köln Cathedral Germany gathered with Spain and France together to mourn and remember the 150 people that died on the crashed flight of Germanwings on March 24.
The service was broadcast live on tv and on big screens in the large Platz in front of the Kölner Dom and in other churches in Köln/Cologne.
 Unbegreiflich, was repeated over and over again in the service. Incomprehensible.
The service started with the comforting music of Gabriel Fauré's Requiem and ended with J. S. Bach's, "Ach Gott, lass dein liebe Engelein".
Chancellor Merkel, Bundespräsident Gauck, NRW Minister Kraft, and diplomats from Spain and France were present. Rescue workers and medical counselling staff, and Germanwings and Lufthansa executives, Mr. Spohr and Winkelmann and others were also in attendance.
Of the 1400 guests, 500 were families of the passengers and crew that died.
The relatives of the victims asked not to be shown by the press and this was respected. One exception was a young woman Sarah who had lost her sister in the crash. She said a prayer on behalf of the victims' families. She prayed for strength and for the Lord to give their loved ones a new home and take care of them.

A hundred and fifty white lit candles were on the steps of the altar. 
White lilies and roses hung down like tears, flowing down the podium and candelabra.
Comforting words from Pastor Annette Kurschus and Cardinal Rainer Maria Wölki.
Halt, trost zu finden, zu verbinden, they gathered together.
A cry to God  and words from the Old Testament to take our tears and a promise from the apostle John that God will wipe them away. " Er sammelt unsere Tränen in einem Krug" and  " Gott wird abwischen alle Tränen". 

Cardinal Wölki had no answers to this tragedy but hope in the resurrection. He offered them words of strength and hope that "Gott ist die Liebe" and as Christians we believe that God's love triumphs over death. He invited the mourners, even those who perhaps do not pray to be carried by those who pray for them.
Luica Fatyol sang Pie Jesu from Fauré's Requiem for her two opera colleagues who died in the crash.

Three rescue workers spoke a few words and personally handed simple wooden crafted angels to Sarah, the young woman on behalf of the victim's families, Premier Kraft, President Gauck, the Spanish and French diplomats and Mr. Winkelmann, Exec. Germanwings. I think all members of the congregation received a wooden angel.

Yes a nation gathered in church, before God to mourn.  I think it is a good thing to show as a state that we are a nation of believers and to gather in a church, a place of refuge for believers and non-believers.

After the church funeral, the state funeral began,  NRW State Premier Kraft, Federal President Gauck, the Interior Minister of Spain Diaz, and State Minister Vidalis of France, all spoke.

The Köln Church choir sang "In paradisum" von Fauré, once again comforting music for the mourners before the departing organ procession to end the State Funeral.

There was two hours of silence and sorrow in the normal bustling Platz outside the Köln Dom, that is right beside the HBF, main train station of Cologne. You can see the Cathedral from the train platforms it is a busy place, today there was silence. By the train station and U bahn stop was a sign with a black ribbon and the words, we are in mourning.

I like to close with words of the Cardinal, " Gott sammelt und birgt die Tränen. Er ehrt und schutzt die Menschen die sie weinen."

***