A True Story from the Slums of Copenhagen around Christmas Time

300 years ago this part of Copenhagen I´m now telling you about was a royal estate.  It was the place where King Frederik IV´s brother Prince Carl had  his castle with beautiful gardens.  The name of the castle was ”Blågård” (i.e. Blue Yard) because of its beautiful blue tile roofs.  However, when I was spiritually awakened this quarter of Copenhagen was slum.  The official residence of the royal gardener had in the meantime become a meeting hall where my grandfather had  meetings among the poor people.  That hall was now in a back yard of the slum.  It was at that place the Lord called me as a 14 years old lad.

How the spiritual life was at Prince Carl´s castle I don´t know.  What I do know is that he and his sister, Princess Sophie Hedevig,  were under the influence of a pietistic movement coming from Germany, and their nephew King Christian VI became a very pietistic king.

I remember my grandfather´s meeting place so well.  On one of the walls I read the words, “He brought him to Jesus” (John 1:42).  When as a boy I pondered on those words I thought, “That´s what it´s all about.”  And that was so true.  Today that house doesn´t exist anymore, and the backyards of the slum have now become beautiful gardens.  But in my childhood the whole picture was dark and gloomy and yet I here found a wonderful foretaste of paradise itself.

Christmas time was always very special. The poor people were invited of course, and delicious, homemade soup was served.  They had also coffee, cookies and  sweets.  A story was read, and they had social fun.  To me and my two sisters it was thrilling to see our grandfather so cheerful and “human”, and we were allowed to make drawings on the white table cloth made of paper.  Many were poor, indeed.  One woman came along with a cloth wrapped around her body.  That was her only piece of dress. But I remember that house as a beautiful place to be at – filled with the beauty and glory of the Lord.

In the street I once noticed two men fighting.  They were dressed in rags.  ”How poor they are, and how unhappy they must be”, I thought.  But to me the happiest moment of my life happened when after a meeting an elderly preacher asked me if I wanted him to pray for me.  I was 14 years old, and he told me how great it was to belong to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Right at the spot I was awakened, and from that time on the Bible became the book of living water to me.  Up till that time I never cared about the Bible.  Oh, its light and truth have followed me over the years and will continue to do so through all eternity..

A blessed Christmas to all of you on both sides of the Atlantic!

-jn-

24.12.08