COVID-19 in Germany: ‘Walking with students into the unknown’

When Globalscope campus minister Tony Cole started to write “April” in the subject line of a recent email to his U.S. ministry partners he found himself laughing, because, as he puts it, “it seems like every day is like a month now! I’m just going to call it “Corona-Time.”

Tony has served with the team in Tübingen, Germany, at the Unterwegs campus ministry for seven years. Here are his thoughts about life and ministry right now.

“It's a weird time we are living in. We in Tübingen are trying to take the many problems that we are faced with and, after a short time of grieving, see how we can turn them into opportunities.

“In some ways, time has indeed stopped. Or changed. Or we are in a loop of some sort. Pick your metaphor. We are being forced to shed many of the rhythms we use to organize our time, and are now left with big questions: What is important? What am I to do?

“I live in a town where thousands of students are stuck in their one-room apartments. We are entering our fourth week of isolation, and the techniques used to numb fear are starting to lose their power. And because of my generous partners, I am here with a team of people to walk with these students into the unknown.

“That's mostly what I've been doing. Walking. Calling students and going on walks (with social distance) together.

“I thank God that I am here in this time of uncertainty, embedded in this community. And I thank God for my partners who, even in uneasy times, keep me here.

“Today I have only one prayer request: Would you join me in praying for the students in our town who don’t know how to ask for help? Please pray with me for a spirit of discernment for our community as we try to care for those around us in these troubling times.”

Would you like to help Tony in his work of walking alongside these students in Tübingen? Go here to be a part of his ministry to university students.