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Series Code: TIJ
Program Code: TIJ001136A
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00:23 New York City. There's no place quite like it. Even if you think 00:29 you know New York City well, the world-class museums, iconic 00:33 buildings, the subway and Unforgetable views, there's 00:38 always something new and exciting to discover. New York 00:42 City. It's the world center for media, culture, food, fashion, 00:47 entertainment, art, research, finance and trade. Many consider 00:53 it the most important and influential city in the world. 00:57 It's simply got it all. Yet for millions of people, it's not the 01:04 view, the buildings, the entertainment or razzle-dazzle 01:07 glitz and glamour that attracted them to New York. For millions 01:11 New York is the greatest city in the world because it offered 01:15 them hope, freedom and an opportunity to start a new life. 01:20 And that hope and freedom is symbolized by the world famous 01:25 Statue of Liberty that stands at the gateway to New York. This 01:30 monument has welcomed some of the most desperate and destitute 01:35 people on the planet. Survivors of torture, refugees fleeing 01:39 violence and persecution into the safety and freedom of New 01:43 York City where their hopes were realized by the opportunity to 01:48 rebuild their lives and start again. One of them, a lonely and 01:54 heartbroken woman fleeing the horrors of the world's most 01:57 terrible war found hope and more She found the lost and treasured 02:03 golden ivy tablecloth here in New York and that discovery led 02:09 to an incredible reunion with the love of her life. You just 02:14 must hear her inspiring story that could well bring hope and 02:18 freedom to your life as well. Join me as we follow her 02:23 incredible journey. 02:26 ♪ ♪ 02:46 For the first time in the history of this human race more 02:51 people live in cities than in the countryside. Cities are 02:54 growing at a faster rate than any other habitat on earth. More 02:59 and more people want to visit, live, or work in the 03:03 world's cities. 03:04 By 2030 there will be 41 mega cities in the world with 03:09 populations over 10 million. And some of these cities are more 03:14 popular than others. There's a hand full of super brain cities 03:19 that are particularly desirable. This list of cities includes 03:24 London, Paris, Dubai, Singapore, Barcelona, Tokyo and Hong Kong. 03:31 But the clear leader and by far the most popular of all the 03:35 world's cities is New York. It's the global hub for international 03:41 finance, politics, communication media, fashion and culture. 03:46 This is the city where most people want to visit, do 03:51 business or live. It's home to many world class museums, 03:55 art galleries and theaters. Many of the largest corporations have 04:00 their headquarters here. The headquarters of the United 04:04 Nations is in New York and most countries have a consulate here. 04:09 It's the most important and influential city on earth. New 04:13 York's influence on the globe and all its inhabitants is hard 04:17 to overstate. Decisions made within this city's boundaries 04:22 often have impacts and ramifications across the world. 04:26 It's a global power city. But that's not all. With its 04:33 fabulous shopping, Broadway's thrilling shows, amazing food 04:38 and first rate sports events New York is considered the 04:42 entertainment capital of the world and draws 60 million 04:47 visitors from around the globe each year. New York to New York, 04:51 the city that never sleeps, the city that throbs with endless 04:58 energy. And then New York's got awesome architecture and parks 05:01 plus a magnificent skyline and you can take in its grandeur 05:07 from observations decks at icons like the Empire State Building, 05:12 and the top of Rock. The observatory on top of 05:15 the Rockefeller 05:16 Center or on a stroll across the Brooklyn Bridge. The new One 05:22 World Trade Center, the tallest building in the western 05:25 hemisphere was just named the world's best new attraction. A 05:32 60 second elevator ride whisks you up to the observatory at the 05:35 top. Surrounded by 360 degree panoramic views it feels like it 05:41 can see forever. There it is. New York City. It consists of 05:48 five Burroughs, Brooklyn, Queens Manhattan, The Bronx and 05:54 Statton Island. It's all one city but a thousand worlds. New 06:00 York's a real melting pot. Over three and a half million 06:03 immigrants and their descendants from over 180 countries live 06:08 here making it the most cosmopolitan city in the world 06:13 giving it the largest foreign born population of any city in 06:17 the world. As many as 800 languages are spoken in New York 06:21 making it linguistically the most diverse city in the world. 06:27 This is a city of immigrants. New York has been the largest 06:31 point of entry into the United States by immigrants. It's been 06:37 the gateway to the American dream. New York has served as a 06:41 sanctuary for diverse groups of immigrants from around the world 06:45 including millions of refugees, survivors of the holocaust, the 06:50 homeless, the persecuted and tortured, the desperate and the 06:56 destitute. It's offered the most vulnerable people on earth hope 07:02 freedom and an opportunity to start a new life. And nothing 07:07 symbolizes this hope and freedom more than the Statue of Liberty. 07:11 It represents America as the land of the free. It's the first 07:17 thing most of the immigrants saw when they arrived in America by 07:22 boat and what an imposing and impressive sight it is. The 07:26 Statue of Liberty stands 93 meters high and weighs 204 07:31 metric tons. When it was first erected in 1886 it was the 07:36 tallest structure in New York and the tallest statue in the 07:40 world. It was a gift from the people of France to the people 07:44 of America celebrating the centennial of the American 07:48 Declaration of Independence and the friendship between the two 07:52 nations. The Statues full name is Liberty Enlightening the 07:58 World. The torch that she holds up high is covered with 24 karat 08:03 gold leaf and represents liberty and enlightenment. The seven 08:08 spikes on her crown represent the seven continents and the 08:13 seven seas across which freedom should be spread. The broken 08:17 chains and shackles at her feet represent complete victory over 08:23 tyranny. Etched on the bronze plaque on the inner wall of the 08:27 statue's pedestal are the famous words of the Jewish immigrant 08:31 poet Emma Lazarus. Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled 08:37 masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your 08:42 teeming shore. Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed to me, 08:48 I lift my lamp beside the golden door. As the immigrant ships 08:55 passed under the torch and shining face this is the 08:59 welcoming message of hope the statue brought to the outcast 09:03 and downtrodden of the world as they made their way to the 09:06 immigration processing station at nearby Ellis Island located 09:11 only a kilometer further on in New York Harbor. For 52 years 09:17 Ellis Island served as the nation's biggest and busiest 09:20 immigration station. Before its closure in 1954, more than 12 09:26 million immigrants arriving by ship were processed here as 09:30 their first stop on their way to a new life in America. Today 09:35 more than 40 percent of the population of over 100 million 09:41 people living in the United States can trace their family 09:45 history to a relative who came through the station at Ellis 09:49 Island. For the large majority of the immigrants entry process 09:53 on Ellis Island took only three to five hours. They were 09:58 registered, medically cleared and then taken by ferry boat to 10:04 New York City. Some of the immigrants who passed through 10:06 Ellis Island became famous household names including 10:10 Albert Einstein, Bob Hope, Irving Berlin, Isaac Asimov and 10:16 Cary Grant. But most of the 12 million immigrants that the 10:19 ferry delivered to New York were people whose names we'll never 10:24 know. However, many of them had poignant moving stories to tell 10:28 of how they had to leave their homes and flee to American to 10:33 escape war, drought, famine, poverty and religious 10:39 persecution. One of those nameless unknown immigrants 10:42 was a refugee from Vienna, Austria. She came from a 10:47 prominent and prosperous family. When World War II broke out she 10:52 and her husband opposed the Nazis. Persecution followed and 10:57 their lives were in danger. They soon realized that the only way 11:01 to survive was to leave their home and flee the country. They 11:06 were advised to go separately and so her long and arduous 11:11 journey to America began when her husband put her on a train 11:15 for Switzerland. They planned that he would join her soon 11:18 afterwards. But she never saw her husband or her home again. 11:23 He was arrested trying to escape and sent to a concentration camp 11:29 Later she'd heard that he died there. After arriving in 11:33 Switzerland alone and vulnerable she tried for days to reach a 11:37 seaport. When she arrived at the coast she boarded a steamship. 11:42 The trip across the Atlantic lasted two weeks. She spent most 11:47 of the time underneath the ship's deck in an open area that 11:51 accommodated large numbers of refugees. The conditions were 11:56 terrible. The place was over crowded, unsanitary and prone 12:01 to disease because of the uncleanliness but she refused 12:05 to despair and never gave up hope. Her first glimpse of 12:10 America was the Statue of Liberty. After clearing Ellis 12:14 Island the ferry took her to New York City. She settled on 12:19 Statton Island, the southern most of New York's five 12:23 burroughs. The view across the bay to the Statue of Liberty and 12:27 Ellis Island kept the flame of hope burning in her heart. 12:30 Although it was December and Christmas was approaching she 12:35 continued looking for work to get money and the ease her 12:39 loneliness. She had another job interview the morning before 12:44 Christmas. It was for a governess position looking after 12:48 the children of one of the wealthy families in the city. 12:51 Because Statton Island is the only New York borough not 12:55 connected to the subway, she caught the ferry to her 12:58 appointment. There'd been a lot of rain that winter in New York 13:02 and the weather was cold and stormy, but it didn't deter her. 13:06 She dressed warmly and went to the appointment. Unfortunately 13:13 her interview wasn't successful. As a war refugee her English was 13:19 imperfect and she didn't get the job. Disappointed and despondent 13:23 she walked slowly back to the bus stop fighting the cold and 13:27 wind as well as fighting back her tears. To make matters 13:32 worse she just missed the bus so she stood cold and alone at 13:36 the bus stop in front of an old stone church the very church 13:41 where a young pastor and his wife has just experienced a 13:47 disaster. It was a grand old church. Once long ago it had 13:53 flourished but now the good old days had passed but the pastor 13:57 and his young wife believed in the dilapidated church. They 14:01 worked hard repairing pews, plastering walls, painting doors 14:06 and scrubbing floors. Soon they were ahead of schedule and well 14:11 on their way to being finished. But late in December just before 14:16 Christmas the severe winter storms and driving rain took 14:20 their toll and the worst blow fell on the old church. The roof 14:26 leaked and a large chunk of rain-soaked plaster fell out of 14:30 the inside wall just behind the pulpit. Christmas was only two 14:35 days away and now all their hard work was in vain. The dispirited 14:40 couple headed home. On the way they noticed that a local 14:47 business was having an auction for charity and so stopped in to 14:51 offer their support. One of the items up for sale caught the 14:55 the pastor's attention, a golden ivory lace tablecloth. It was a 15:01 magnificent item nearly 5 m. long. It was old fashioned and 15:06 outdated. There were a few half hearted bids. Then the pastor 15:10 was struck by a bright idea. He bid for the unwanted tablecloth 15:16 and purchased it for $6.50. He and his wife hurried back to the 15:23 church and hung the tablecloth up on the wall behind the pulpit 15:27 as a wall tapestry. It completely covered the hole. It 15:31 was just perfect and the extraordinary beauty of the 15:35 shimmering handwork cast a soft glow over the front of the 15:39 church. The couple was delighted and returned home with a spring 15:44 in their step. Their plans were back on track and now they could 15:49 proceed with their Christmas Eve service. Just after noon on the 15:54 day of Christmas Eve as the pastor was opening the church 15:58 he noticed the refugee woman standing cold and alone at the 16:03 bus stop. He called out to her that the bus wouldn't be here 16:06 for another 40 minutes and invited her into the church to 16:10 get warm. The woman came in and sat down in a pew and rested. 16:17 After a while she dropped her head in prayer. She looked as 16:23 the pastor began to adjust the great golden ivory tablecloth 16:27 across the hole. She rose suddenly and walked up the steps 16:31 to the pulpit. She looked at the tablecloth. The pastor smiled 16:36 and started to tell her about the storm damage but she didn't 16:40 seem to listen. She took out the fold of the cloth and rubbed it 16:45 between her fingers. It's mine she said. It's my banquet cloth. 16:51 She lifted up the corner and showed the surprised pastor that 16:57 there were initials embroidered on it. She explained how her 17:01 husband had the cloth made especially for her in Brussels. 17:05 There couldn't be another like it. For the next 10 minutes the 17:10 woman and the pastor talked together. She shared her story 17:14 with him. The pastor tried to comfort her and urged her to 17:20 take the tablecloth. She refused She wanted the pastor to keep it 17:25 for the church. Then she went out into the cold on her way 17:32 home. As the church began to fill on Christmas Eve it was clear 17:37 that the tablecloth was going to be a great success. It had been 17:42 skillfully designed to look its best in the soft candle light. 17:46 After the service the pastor stood at the doorway. Many 17:51 people told him that the church looked beautiful. One gentle 17:56 faced man, he was the local clock and watch repair man 17:59 looked rather puzzled. After sitting in one of the pews for 18:04 some time, he asked the pastor where he got the tablecloth on 18:09 the front wall from. In a soft accent, he said that it looked 18:14 identical to the one he gave his wife many years ago in Vienna. 18:18 The pastor suddenly became very excited. He told the jeweler 18:23 about the woman who had been in the church earlier in the day. 18:27 The startled jeweler clutched the pastor's arm. Could it be? 18:32 Was his wife still alive? Together the two drove to 18:38 Statton Island. The Christmas Eve the jeweler and his wife, 18:42 two lonely refugees in New York City who had been separated for 18:47 so many sad years were reunited. 18:50 ♪ ♪ 19:10 And how fitting that this moving reunion occurred at the time of 19:15 the year when people are thinking about and celebrating 19:18 the birth of Jesus because his birth brought about an even more 19:24 moving and miraculous reunion. Yes the birth of Jesus brings 19:30 people together, it brings families and friends together, 19:33 but even more importantly it brings people and God back 19:38 together. Heaven and earth were united by the birth of Jesus. 19:42 That's why Jesus came. He came to reunite heaven and earth and 19:48 that's why his birth is such wonderful news. Listen to how 19:53 the angels shared this good news with the shepherds in 19:56 Luke chapter 2 verses 10 and 11: 20:17 To understand why the birth of Jesus is such good news, we've 20:21 got to recognize that it's one episode of a much bigger story 20:26 that goes all the way back to the beginning of human existence 20:30 This is a story that goes all the way back to the garden of 20:35 Eden when God created our first parents. They were perfect and 20:40 lived in a perfect world and they had a perfect relationship 20:43 with God. There was the closest relationship between God and 20:48 people, between heaven and earth. But sadly this perfect 20:54 environment and relationship was shattered when our first parents 20:58 rebelled against God and went their own sinful way. Their 21:03 actions had serious consequences Their disobedience separated 21:08 them from God and that resulted in destruction and death. They 21:14 had no ability to fix the situation so the human race was 21:19 doomed. But God is love and he just couldn't stand being 21:24 separated from us, the people he loves. He couldn't bear the 21:28 thought of us perishing all alone. He had a plan. He 21:33 decided that he would come to earth himself and pay the 21:37 penalty for our sins and mistakes. He would die so that 21:42 we could live. And so on the silent night, a holy night Jesus 21:49 was born in Bethlehem. Immanuel, God is with us. 21:54 Notice the details and significance of Jesus' birth; 22:00 he was born away from home so he understands our separation 22:05 and loneliness. He was born on journey so he understands our 22:10 restless and wandering nature. He was born in the insecurity of 22:15 a barn so he understands our insecurity and lack of spiritual 22:20 comfort and inner peace. He roamed the roads and towns of 22:25 his day so he understands our endless search for fulfillment 22:29 and contentment. Whatever problem you may be facing, 22:34 Jesus understands what you're going through. You are not alone 22:39 In other words, and here's the good news, Jesus came because 22:44 God loves us and didn't want to be separated from us. There is 22:49 hope. Because of Jesus every one of us can be reunited with 22:56 God. In Jesus heaven and earth are joined together. We are no 22:59 longer alone. We are no longer separated. Jesus has rescued us 23:05 from separation and loneliness. And now nothing can separate us 23:10 from God's love. Notice what the Bible says in 23:14 Romans chapter 8 verses 38 and 39: 23:40 Did you get that? Now nothing can separate us from God's love 23:46 and so we can be assured today that God is with us. He provides 23:52 security, comfort and fulfillment. He's here to give 23:56 us hope, to forgive our sins, to give us a new song, to give 24:01 us peace and happiness. All we have to do is ask him. Why not 24:07 do that right now as we pray. Give him the gift that he wants, 24:14 your heart, your soul, your life. Let's pray. 24:19 Our dear Heavenly Father, thank you for Jesus, the greatest gift 24:25 of all, our Savior and our Deliverer. We thank you for 24:31 taking our place and paying the penalty for our sins and 24:33 mistakes. We're so glad that we are no longer separated from you 24:38 We're so grateful that you're a loving God. Thank you for the 24:43 peace and happiness you give us. You are our refuge and our place 24:48 of safety. We commit our lives to you and pray for your 24:52 continued blessing and guidance. We ask this in Jesus' name, Amen 25:00 New York is possibly the greatest city our world has ever 25:04 seen. It's simply got it all. Yet for some people it's not 25:09 the views, the buildings, the entertainment or the glamour 25:13 that attracted them to New York. For some New York is the 25:17 greatest city in the world because it offered them hope, 25:20 freedom and an opportunity to start a new life. One of them, 25:26 a lonely and heartbroken woman fleeing the horrors of war found 25:32 hope and more. She found her lost and treasured golden ivory 25:36 tablecloth here in New York and that discovery led to an 25:41 incredible reunion with the love of her life. They were reunited 25:46 by the Christmas event and the tablecloth. Their separation and 25:52 loneliness was over. Jesus offers to end our loneliness and 25:57 separation as well. So if you're struggling with the 26:01 challenges of life and are looking for inner peace and true 26:04 happiness, if you'd like to get closer to God then I'd like to 26:09 recommend a free gift we have for all our viewers today. It's 26:14 the book The Best Gift of All. This book is our gift to you and 26:19 is absolutely free. There are no costs or obligations whatsoever. 26:25 Thousands have been blessed and inspired by this book, The Best 26:29 Gift of All, so make the most of this wonderful opportunity to 26:34 receive the gift we have for you today. Here's the information 26:38 you need: Phone or text us at 0436333555 or visit our 26:47 website www.tij.tv to request today's free offer and we'll 26:55 send it to you totally free of charge and with no obligation. 26:59 So don't delay. Call or text 0436333555 in Australia or 27:07 0204222042 in New Zealand to request today's offer. Write to 27:16 us at: 27:36 Don't delay. Call or text us now The Incredible Journey truly is 27:42 television that inspires and changes lives. Until next week 27:48 remember the ultimate destination of life's journey: 27:52 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth. And God will wipe away 27:57 every tear from their eyes. There shall be no more death nor 28:01 sorrow nor crying. There shall be no more pain for the former 28:05 things have passed away. 28:08 ♪ ♪ |
Revised 2020-10-28