What We Can Learn from the Most Powerful Woman in Modern History

This article was first published in French at TPSG.

I recently finished reading the biography entitled “The Chancellor: The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel” and I was taken aback by her unparalleled life. And despite my university studies in international politics, I must confess that, in true isolationist American fashion, I knew very little about this impressive woman. My one comfort was that when a German girl came to our home recently for a meal and I asked her to tell me about her former head of state, she admitted that she herself knew very little.

To be clear, I make no claim to be an expert on the life and legacy of Angela Merkel. Nor is my aim political in nature. I simply find her story fascinating and her character and contributions worthy of consideration. Especially so in light of the inspiration that she is to women around the globe as we remember International Women’s Day.

A Pastor’s Daughter in Communist East Germany

Angela Dorothea was born in Hamburg on July 17, 1954, to Horst and Herlinda Kasner. Her father is a Lutheran pastor, whose devotion to God leads him to answer a call to minister at a church in East Germany. This is at great personal cost, as during this period most families moving are doing so in the opposite direction. Their relatively comfortable life in the West makes way for the austerity common to the East. When Angela is 7, the Berlin Wall is erected, and overnight her family find themselves prisoners of a Communist state where pastors are considered bourgeois and are viewed with suspicion.

The Physicist 

Pastor Kasner is a rigid man, maintaining a demanding regime for his daughter. She excells academically, and soon choses the life of a scientist, as a career in politics holds little appeal to her given the corruption of the surveillance state she lives under. During her studies, she learns fluent Russian and attains her Ph.D. in Physics. 

From Laboratory to Leadership

Everything changes for the accomplished scientist when the Berlin Wall comes tumbling down on November 9, 1989. Her newfound freedom soon drive her West, where she exchanges the laboratory for a life of service to rebuild the recently reunified German. And because she has not been embroiled in politics under Communism, she has no history of corruption or collaboration with the former oppressive regime. The same cannot be said of most of the aspiring former-Communist leaders who do not flee to Russia following the collapse of the German Democratic Republic. 

Her Rise to Power

As a woman and an East German, she fills a unique position in rebuilding the new nation-state. Her ascent is rapid: 

• In December 1990, she is elected to the Bundestag (German Parliament).

• In 1991, she becomes minister of women and youth.

• In 1994, she is appointed minister of the environment.

• In 2000, she is appointed the first female chairperson of her political party (Christian Democratic Union). 

• Finally, on November 22, 2005, Angela Merkel is sworn in as Germany’s first female chancellor. She will go on to serve 16 years in her position. 

Her Influence on the World Stage

As the leader of the most populous country in the European Union, she exercises her power well beyond her own borders. This is particularly because Germany’s decentralized government distributes far more power away from its chancellor to its 16 states – a measure, in part, to prevent the rise of another despot akin to Adolph Hitler. She nurtures a strong relationship with her French counterparts as key allies in ensuring the stability and economic growth of the EU. Her profound admiration for the United States and its essential role in bringing down the wall and in aiding her nation’s unification causes her to make great efforts to unify Western democracies under their core beliefs in the rule of law. And her intimate understanding of the Russian language and worldview qualify her to broker negotiations for the EU with Vladimir Putin more competently than any other European head of state.

Lessons from the Life of Angela Merkel

Time does not permit me to go into any more detail as to the contributions this remarkable woman makes on the world scene. And I want to be clear that I do not endorse all of her life choices, nor do I think that Angela Merkel is an Evangelical Christian. But I do believe that she bears God’s image, that she is a recipient of common grace, and that her years of service to her nation and to the world are worth considering for those of us who follow Jesus Christ. Here are just a few lessons I learned as I read her remarkable story:

Humility

She is known for understatement. As her career in politics comes to a close, a journalist asks Mme Merkel what she believes her legacy will be. “She tried,” she answers self-effacingly. Oh, that that kind of humility would characterize us as children of our gentle and lowly Servant-King!

Compassion

When war, famine, and turmoil in the Middle East result in a refugee crisis in 2015, Angela Merkel does not harden her heart to the least of these. She opens her borders to one million refugees, far more than any other Western European country. Inspired by their leader’s commitment to those facing such desperate circumstances, countless Germans open their hearts and their communities to welcome them. Whatever our views may be on immigration, we as Christ’s people have much to learn from her open-handedness to those in need. 

Endurance

When asked what is the singular quality that sustains her during her 16 years in office, she answers with one word, “Endurance!” She has an indefatigable commitment to negotiate, bringing together differing parties. This costs her many sleepless nights, as world leaders gather to broker agreements that go long into the night. This tenacity in the face of opposing points of view could serve us well as believers. How many needless church splits could have been avoided through more negotiating and less strong-arming? 

Owning Her History

Growing up in East Germany, Angela Merkel learns the false narrative that Hitler’s greatest victims were communists, not Jews. Only after her move to the West does she discover the full magnitude of the genocide that has taken place on German soil. This results in a fierce commitment to the security of the state of Israel and to owning her country’s debt to the Jewish people. We as believers would also do well to own the sins of our forebearers, especially those done in the name of Christ. This has scriptural precedent, as we consider Nehemiah 1, in which the post-exilic leader confesses the sins of his ancestors that led them into exile as if he had committed them himself.

Simplicity

The day Angela Merkel leaves office, no caravan of moving vans is required. She never lived in a palace. Instead, she chooses to remain in the same utilitarian apartment she and her husband have occupied for years. They have no housekeeper. She does their grocery shopping. He does their laundry. For believers, I don’t mean this point as an indictment on cleaning services and laundromats. Rather, I believe we can draw inspiration from a woman who does not allow the trappings of fame and power to keep her from being grounded in everyday life. In obedience to Christ’s command, we can invest our material resources in such a way that allows us to store up treasures in heaven (Mt 6:19-21). 

Duty

It has been said that this daughter of a Lutheran pastor is fueled by duty, not a hunger for power. As a result, her position never becomes her identity. Her biographer states, “She will not miss the narcotic of power, having never inhaled its perfume.” She is no demagogue, stirring audience with rousing speeches. On the contrary, she is known for being dry and even boring. Angela Merkel seems almost triggered by charming, charismatic, flashy leaders, as they reminded her of Adolf Hitler and the power he wielded with the use of his tongue. To those of us with oratory and leadership gifts, this, too, can serve as inspiration: May our duty to care for the souls Christ has entrusted to us overshadow any selfish ambition we may foster. And may we never use our words to manipulate, but only to speak the truth in love.

Conclusion

In sharing about her formative years under Merkel, my German friend tells me the following: "I took it for granted that a woman could be chancellor. It seemed like the most natural thing in the world. It took coming to North America to recognize just how rare that actually is." So, while Angela Merkel embodies many attributes we can admire, perhaps the greatest lesson from her life is that she has inspired a generation of girls around the world to pursue their dreams, because they, too, have been endowed by their Creator with gifts that could change the world.