Some of our readers might remember the post on my Macedonian friend who was one of so many that were screwed by blatant corruption that broke the promise of capitalism in his country. He got his company stolen out from under him by a corrupt relative of the country’s prime minister. So, he came to Germany and worked as a truck driver to earn some money he could send back to his family to support them.

Great guy, committed Christian. Proud to be his friend. But needless to say, even in Germany, a country with a long tradition of “rule of law”, he got screwed again. As background, truck drivers don’t get paid a lot in Germany, especially those who come out of Eastern or Southern Europe where wages are lower. My friend had the good fortune to find a better paying job, but it meant he was the new guy and was given a truck model that none of the other drivers wanted. But he toughed it out, along with the chaos of poor planning that constantly changed his routes.

Of course, everything that they had contractually agreed, was immediately ignored. All the things he negotiated were just for show. But one has to take what they can get and when the money’s a bit better. One has to expect there’s a reason! Most wouldn’t work with so much chaos and employee disregard.

An Unexpected Emergency Medical Condition Got Him Fired

All of that was bad enough, but after just a few weeks working there, he had a medical emergency that required surgery. He was suffering from kidney stones and unfortunately, the surgery wasn’t successful. The stone(s) weren’t located and eliminated, so they sent him home to “wait it out”.

He immediately went back to work, fearing that he might lose his job if he took time off for medical leave, even though he was entitled to it. A few weeks later, he had to again enter the hospital for emergency treatment.

The good news was, he managed to pass the stone. The bad news was, his company fired him, even though it wasn’t legal to do it. But when you’re a Macedonian worker in Germany, what are you gonna do? Hire a lawyer? Good luck with that!

A New Job with Even More Chaos and Broken Promises

After recovering, he found another job with another trucking company. That’s the good news. The bad news is that the company does a lot of long-haul deliveries which puts him on the road for extended periods of time.

Once again, what was negotiated, was immediately ignored. More chaos, more poor planning, more broken promises, a truck that wasn’t road worthy. And of course, he’s on the road on all his weekends and most weekdays. It now makes no sense for his family to visit him because he’s not home often enough.

He’s home so seldom, he canceled his apartment, put his stuff in storage and now sleeps in his truck. I’ve seen him once since he got his new job and I fear it may be the last time I see him. The company headquarters is in Holland and I’m guessing he no longer spends any time here in Koblenz.

He confided in me that he needs employment so he can get an extended visa that hopefully allows his family to relocate to Germany. So, he has no choice but to work at lousy jobs to stay employed. It’s a catch 22, another example of how Christians can be mistreated, just like those in the world. It’s a terrible outcome for him.

Uncertain of the Outcome, My Faith is in Christ

I’m not sure how this all ends for my friend. But amidst all the uncertainty, I hold fast to Christ, recognizing that my friend is a child of God and Christ will provide. Don’t let anyone tell you the free market system is a godly system, or even that it’s the best system. I get that from a lot from Christians. But I’ve concluded those who think that, are naive – blind to what the free-market system does to the poor and the powerless.

The entire system is built on personal greed, and that drives all decisions. It doesn’t matter if the decisions oppress people, screw them over, result in hardships for the families or risk their health. Just look at the third world and how people have to work 12-hour shifts and 10 hours on Saturday for peanuts.

Please don’t bother to tell me they are better off than they would be without the free market system. And don’t bother to tell me that their wages and working conditions will steadily improve over time. It’s all a lie to justify oppressing those who have no power and have no other alternatives.

God will destroy this system because of the evil it does. Just read Revelation 18. And don’t miss verse 4, where Christians are told to come out from this system so that they are not destroyed when God takes the system down forever.

God is on the throne, and He will protect my friend. I put my trust in no one else and nothing else. I trust you’ll do the same!