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PICTURE BOOK I-VII

Everything emerged from the collection of images from a long and fulfilling life.

I see myself, the author of the texts accompanying the images, as a photographer, an amateur photographer. My true aim is to depict our beautiful world and, in doing so, honor the Creator. I've created this eBook to complement my photo books because the print editions don't have the space for extensive texts. To put it simply: the printing costs for a traditional book with the lengthy texts I envision are simply no longer affordable. Therefore, this eBook is available for free download, and you are welcome to share it without infringing on my rights as the author. Of course, the recipient of such a file must also respect the applicable copyright laws.

 The eBook itself, however, has very little space for additional photos. Therefore, there is a supplementary volume to this eBook containing selected photos that you can view while the eBook text is open in front of you. Opening multiple files simultaneously is no problem.

Now I'd like to briefly explain how the photo collection progressed. First, two illustrated books were created. The first is about the beauty of nature—more specifically, about my homeland. The second deals with the "cultural" superstructure that binds people together here. Hence the title: Home – Life Faith. My friend Uli then designed a small website for me https://heimat-ndb.jimdoweb.com so that the photos could be made available to other people. Thank you for that. Finally, the website was created. However, this winter semester 2024 will be shut down because the new one, which you are currently viewing, has been released. It initially consisted of two chapters: Nature and Faith. Next came (are coming) several illustrated books that deal with the prayers of the Lord's Prayer. I will now briefly introduce the illustrated books to you.

PICTURE BOOK I Bavaria Local History Book

Everything I can show in pictures has a long history. Quite a lot happened in the first five days of creation. Our calendar assumes 13.5 billion years. That's not a contradiction, it's just a different understanding of time. A book that reports on what's happening is nature itself. A massive project is underway. Someone has staged it. For you and for me. So that we can enjoy it. And participate in what is still in the making. My illustrated book "Homeland Lower Bavaria" can only present a modest excerpt: water, earth, stars, and weather. For a change, a few cultivated landscapes. And finally, all living things.

I've been keeping bees for several years, albeit on a very modest scale. I adhere to the rules of the beekeepers' association, which require regular treatment against the Varroa mite. It's not easy for beginners to decide on the right method. Some of the methods often touted online don't actually seem to make sense. It all depends on whether you're desperately seeking maximum yields or whether you have multiple motivations for keeping bees. Most beekeepers keep their winged friends in modern hives. The bees then build their honeycombs in square frames that can be easily removed and the honey extracted. In exchange, the bees receive food for the winter, which even offers advantages over certain types of honey they collect themselves.

Nowadays, we have the opportunity to access programs from media libraries. On November 22, 2018, "3Sat" broadcast a documentary about our treatment of bees: "More than honey - Bitter Honey." This film shows all the harm we do to these animals. Perhaps it will lead to a change in thinking. Einstein is said to have once said:

If the bees die, four years later, so do humans.

Is the four-year rule true? However, anyone who is offended by this number hasn't grasped the significance of the statement. After pigs and cattle, bees rank third when examining which animals are important for our diet. This means that bees are very important farm animals whose preservation we are responsible for.

BAVARIA AN IDYLL?

Yes, our state is an idyll. But it's more than that. Lower Bavaria has its place in the homeland of Europe. I think this topic also includes considerations of Lower Bavaria's economy and its political identity. Of course, tradition is held in high esteem in Lower Bavaria, and faith is part of the lives of the people here. But the fact that we have a low unemployment rate in our state and that huge sums of money flow from Bavaria into the state fiscal equalization system also deserves to be mentioned.

Would you like to know what else can be found in the book "Heimat Niederbayern" (Homeland of Lower Bavaria)? Well, the photos somehow seem to point to a "perfect world." But we shouldn't fool ourselves.

We humans are systematically destroying our planet. In the book, we look at intact forests and know that elsewhere, nature is being destroyed, the rainforest is being systematically destroyed. We know that, for the sake of higher yields and expected profits, the dynamic equilibria in nature are being thrown out of control by dangerous chemical poisons.

Our task is to work with nature, not against it—if we want to preserve our habitat.

PICTURE BOOK II Local History Book Faith Life

This book was originally planned as a hometown book. It refers to customs and beliefs that are common knowledge in my homeland.

Life in Lower Bavaria is shaped by faith in the good God who created us, redeemed us, and made us holy. Therefore, it is good to preserve our culture while simultaneously looking toward new paths. In my book "Home - Our Life, Our Faith," I point out the connections between the culture of understanding God and the lovable way of life in this land, characterized by the Danube and the rolling hills of our beautiful homeland.

The home of the organization "Missio" is located on Pettenkoferstrasse in Munich. This is an aid organization that focuses its attention on people who have not yet heard of our Lord Christ. The Good News is to be proclaimed to these people. At the same time, efforts are being made to improve the often poor living conditions of these people. One of the projects involved providing work for talented local artists, thus making their skills known here as well. Many of the works of art are housed in Missio's house chapel in Munich.

PICTURE BOOK III

On the First Petition of the Lord's Prayer

This book was deliberately designed with the Lord's Prayer in mind. One could assume that the first request expresses what is, so to speak, the basis for all other requests.

We could bring heaven to earth...

and anchor the earth to heaven,

 if your happiness were also my happiness,

 your sorrow also my sorrow,

 your joy also my joy,

 your fate also my destiny

Author unknown to me

Every day we realize that we are caught up in global events that are becoming difficult to influence. Individuals often feel powerless, and rightly so. It would be good to listen to the One who brought love into the world, who no longer accepts the right of the strongest. On the contrary, He wants us not to abandon our fellow human beings in their time of need, but to accompany them lovingly and stand by them in a helpful way. This is what He wants from us, who did not allow himself to be carried away by violence against those in power, who took all the guilt of the world upon himself so that we might be free. His name is holy where fellow human beings are respected and allowed to live their lives with us. 

PICTURE BOOK IV 

  On the second petition of the Lord's Prayer

This is one of the three requests that God brings to the fore in His actions. At the same time, however, we can expect the fulfillment of this request “for us” as a gift.

The book "Home - Where His Peace Dwells" or "Thy Kingdom Come" - as I'll call it more briefly - is about whether we are willing to cooperate in the Kingdom of God that the Lord offers us. There are many people who, as politicians, teachers, priests, but also as merchants, employees, or students, are working toward a future in which equality prevails for everyone. But there are also those who are intent on exploiting their fellow human beings and show no consideration for their actions. Although their numbers may not be that large, they are very powerful because they sometimes possess enormous wealth and abuse their economic or political power to further exacerbate existing injustices and consume or appropriate important resources. The world's power blocs are not at all squeamish when it comes to flexing their muscles.

We - yes, we are the children of God. And when the Bible speaks of the "elect," it's not a kind of elite; no, we can know that we are all chosen. Chosen for life. And that means we can all confidently hope for His "Kingdom of Peace." Let us say, "Thy kingdom come." And I think that members of other religions may use different words but mean exactly the same thing. The second volume of the album series on the Lord's Prayer is dedicated to this topic. The Beatitudes are the guideposts for such a way of life, which we are to ask for and simultaneously bring about ourselves. Poverty is praised there as a virtue. And given our careless use of resources, this call seems very timely.

The second petition of the Lord's Prayer is ultimately about our relationships with our fellow human beings. We remember that the kingdom of peace is God's will. But we ourselves should also do something to fulfill our longing for peace. However, our considerations run counter to the exploitative efforts of entire power blocs. At first, it seems easiest for the oppressed to turn against their exploiters. In other words: violence against violence. That's how it's always been.

But this raises the question of what moral justification the oppressed have to defend themselves against the injustice they endure. Of course, this justification exists. But—and here comes the problem—Jesus urgently warns against renewed violence against the exploiters. This would only achieve something superficially and, in the long run, would only further fuel the spiral of violence. What remains?

So, first of all, we, as those who are materially well off, are called upon to expose and denounce the grievances and to oppose injustice with our means. This is especially true when it comes to the plight of people who suffer at the hands of the white race: Black people in America immediately come to mind. But let's also think of the Native Americans, who were virtually wiped out by us whites. We bow, kneel before the humiliated.

In dealing with structures of domination (corporations, governments), we should show courage. And put those in power in their place. In our country, we are allowed to do so. And what can we do ourselves? A certain simplification of our lifestyle makes us freer and makes it more difficult for corporations to sell useless products, even those produced through exploitation. So, I'm thinking of prudent consumer behavior or even peaceful demonstrations. Raising awareness about injustices in the world is the beginning of all positive change. And the oppressed? We must stand with them. For equality for all people is still far from being realized. And—when the opportunity arises—kneel, as many people do in solidarity with those who are oppressed, abused, and killed for racist reasons. With Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther—and above all, Jesus Christ—the world has enough examples of consistent action against existing injustice. However, the path to a new and true community of people is difficult and long.

PICTURE BOOK V

 On the third petition of the Lord's Prayer

In the third of the three requests, which look at the Lord's concerns, it is made very clear: Listening to God is very important to us. The Creator requires our commitment to the realization of His will. After all, He gave us the freedom to do so. In this way we can participate in the completion of creation.

Very early on, we humans sought the solution to the riddle of the world. And found God. He spoke to us, showed us the way. He died for us and rose again to life. He calls us to love and mercy. And gives us the strength to do so. The sequence in the prayer leads from the highest authority, from His holy name, directly to us, who are to prepare the "Kingdom of God."

The third petition is about recognizing Him and His will and desiring that exactly what He desires for us will become reality. The sequence of the three petitions is like a bow stretching from heaven to our earth. The image of the rainbow, which was already seen by people of earlier times in the Old Testament as a sign of peace between God and humanity, is fitting. The "parachute jump" from heaven to us humans corresponds to the Lord's appearance in the world. How much symbolic significance lies in this arrangement of the important petitions of the Lord's Prayer alone!

PICTURE BOOK VI 

On the fourth and fifth petitions of the Lord's Prayer

PICTURE BOOK VII

On the sixth and seventh petitions of the Lord's Prayer

The last two requests of the prayer, which is actually quite short, although in terms of content it encompasses the entire relationship between God and us humans, are intended to remind us that we are always tempted and - in order not to end up in a dangerous "vicious circle" - we always need His forgiveness.

Whatever temptation has captured us,

there is salvation. But we must seek it ourselves.

There will probably be no blanket salvation—no one remains guiltless.