By KNOX HERNDON
Religious Columnist

We have a constant reminder of the indomitable human spirit in our foyer at our home in Fayetteville. Every time I lift the weights to wind the old German grandfather clock in our house, I think of the family of God and the family of man around the world.

While serving as an Army chaplain, God allowed my wife and me to live in West Berlin, Germany from 1977 to 1980 when the Berlin Wall was still up, when Afghanistan was invaded by the Russians, and when the American hostages were being held in Iran. Many expressed feelings that we might be the next hostages. All that the Communist East Berlin authorities would have had to do was to close the Autobahn and subway system. Tanks would have rolled through the Berlin Wall, and it would have been all over for us in the free sectors. Many do not realize that the city of Berlin was located 110 miles inside Communist East Germany, so the free half of the city was already within the "jaws of the dragon."

The French, British, and American Allies were stubbornly holding onto the free sectors of Berlin. I remember the thousands of prayers we prayed that one day we would see the hated Berlin Wall come down. I was truly blessed to see those prayers answered during my lifetime.

The German grandfather clock had been in the Russian "occupied" sector of Berlin. It had survived the bombings of World War II, it had survived the Russian reign of terror in the Warsaw Pact nations, and it had survived the Germans' burning furniture for firewood after the war. It had survived and "ticked on" through the infamous Checkpoint Charlie with the Russian and East German machine guns aimed at the car in which it was transported. It was brought to freedom its beautiful brass weights, when pulled up, would start the pendulum in motion, and then the faithful ticking would help keep our family on schedule. It has been ticking ever since.

God's timeless Holy Spirit is like that. Last Sunday afternoon, Aug. 2, God gave my wife, me and our church youth group the splendid opportunity to celebrate the 128th birthday of Edgefield Baptist Church, on Church Street in Fayetteville near the post office. A small band of ex-slaves started their church by standing on a rock and preaching the first sermon in 1870. The Holy Spirit has set the hearts of many pastors and worshippers "ticking" since 1870. Pastor Eddie Thomas is currently singing and preaching his Christian heart out in the pulpit each Sunday. The greatest joy for us was to worship not only with our African-American Christian brothers and sisters in Christ, but to see Edgefield invite Dr. John Hatcher from River's Edge Community Church of Fayetteville to preach on this momentous occasion. Here we had two white churches worshipping with a historic, l28-year-old black congregation that started on a rock at the edge of a field. Edgefield Baptist Church has been "ticking" ever since.

If on any Sunday you want to feel the Holy Spirit of God, go worship in the 128-year-old Edgefield Baptist Church at 140 Church St., Fayetteville. You will be welcome there. The spirit ticks on!

(Dr. Knox Herndon is a recently retired U.S. Army chaplain and pastor of His House Community Church, 193 Johnson Ave., Fayetteville, behind the Mask Tire Co. Herndon can be reached at 770-719-2365 or by e-mail, KHern2365@aol.com.)