In my attempt to not study, I decided to go to Joseph-Beth Booksellers and find some sort of distraction from pyschological theories and economic structures of historic Jerusalem. I'm not sure what to call what I have found.
Night by Elie Wiesel.
This book is one man's memoir from surviving the Holocaust.
Let me share a brief passage from the original Yiddish version, changed in it's translation.
"And now scarcely ten years after Buchenwald, I realize that the world forgets quickly. Today, Germany is a sovereign state. the German Army has been resuscitated. Ilse Koch, the notorious sadistic monster of Buchenwald, was allowed to have children and live happily ever after...War criminals stroll through the streets of Hamburg and Munich. The past seems to have been erased, relegated to oblivion.
Today there are anti-semites in Germany, France, and even the United States who tell the world that the 'story' of six million assasinated Jews is nothing but a hoax, and many people not knowing any better, may well believe them, if not today then tomorrow or the day after...
I am not so naive as to believe that this slim volume will change the course of history or shake the conscience of the world.
Books no longer have the power they once did.
Those who kept silent yesterday will remain silent tomorrow.(emphasis added)"
My brief suggestion is this: Read this book. That is all. Be forewarned that it is not for the faint of heart.
As for me, I should probably get to work--though it feels strangly unimportant tonight.
peace out,
hersch
22 comments:
can I borrow it when you're done?
julie, im done with it, finished it sunday night actually....its short....and i will bring it home this weekend....my thoughts about you reading it though is that you may not like it because of what you have to hear in your job....but i still think you could get alot out of it, but it is hard stuff...
I probably won't like it, but I think that it's something that I need to read.
Can I have it after Julie?
I should get it before Julie because I'm cooler than her.
its only a dollar on Amazon.com you know:)
6 million - and the church said nary a word.
actually geoff, there was an alliance of pastors who actually tried to do something, namely assinate Adolf Hitler. Yo may have heard of Dietrich Bonhoeffer? He was part of this alliance.
I know this isn't the right solution to the problem, but Bonhoeffer says in letters to family that he tried to come upw ith any way possible to stop this but couldnt think of anything, and only knew that Hitler had to be stopped...
its a tragic story. You never hear it either.
Basically the church of germany went along with the holocaust because they were run by the gov. but there were true churches and pastors trying to stop it....you just dont hear about it....read up on Bonhoeffer and what not..its some serious stuff
and also, im not sure alot of people knew what was going on until after the fact....
i remember that part in Band of Brothers(based on real stories) when they were marching and they came across a concentration camp that had recently been abandoned by the germans for fear of being killed and the US soldiers had no idea what was going on...or why they had Jews in cages or anything....
I remember watching a doc. on Dietrich Bonhoeffer...it was interesting.
And I back up Herschel's comments about them not knowing..I had heard or read somewhere that after Hitler was out many Germans went and visited the camps and were horrified at what they saw, that had absolutely no idea what was going on. How the government was able to keep that a secret I'll never know.
I have actually read some of Bonhoeffer's stuff. It's a little tough to digest, but it's good stuff.
I totally get what you are saying and I have no doubt that some churches/Christians/pastors spoke out against the Holocaust. In my book they are heroes because of it. But I think history tells us that before it was all over most of the world had some idea what was going on and (for a lot of reasons) chose to turn a blind eye to it.
I only hope that in a similar situation I would have the same faith and boldness of ole' Dietrich. My fear is that I would look at my wife, my family, my job, my house, my great life and settle for the safety of silence.
On a lighter note... did you know that the King James Bible contains some form of (the 4-letter word that means "to urinate"...*hehe* *snicker*) 8 times? I want to be immature and giggle and laugh about that like a jr. high girl, but I know that it just didn't have the same connotation in 1611 that is does now.
It is funny you mention that in a similiar situation you hope you would be willing to stand and not be silent.
That time is now my friend. Several countries are experiencing ethnic genocide, namely Sudan.
Over 400,000 people have been murdered, and over 3.5 million have been forced to flee for thier lives. These numbers are not yet to Holocaust standards but they they are going that way quicker and quicker everyday.
Savedarfur.org has some info on that. Lets look at the Rwanda incident as well: 800,000 people murdered. Not 6 Million, but genocide as well.
And only now after people like Angelina Jolie and George Clooney and Bono speak up are people starting to pay attention.
Things like this bring up all sorts of questions for me to personal to share on this impersonal space but I assure that we will see another genocide...and another...and another...because there is hate in the world.
So...let me put my soapbox.
What I was specifically referring to is a situation where I was in the shoes of someone like Bonhoeffer... like if the United States government began executing every (insert ostracized group here) in our borders, and threatened the same fate for anyone who attempted to help a member of that and/or question the governments actions... would I stand up and speak the truth or quiety tow the party line.
I was afraid that a not-so-different situation would present itself last year when the law was up for approval that would have made it a criminal act to help an illegal immigrant, even if that help was simply giving food, water, or shelter. Thankfully, the law didn't pass.
I have so much respect for the Confessing Church during WWII or the Hutu's in Rwanda who hid Tutsis' like members of the Underground Railroad in our own country. My point was simply that I honestly hope that I would do the same if called to.
The atrocities in Sudan and Darfur are truly tragic, but the simple truth is that I can't do much about it other than be informed and pray. There are situations in the US that I can do something about, though, like finding ways to fight against the stigma/suspicion of everything and everyone who has "the look" of being from the Middle East, which obviously means that they are planning terrorist actions against the U.S. right this very minute, meaning I have an excuse to perpetuate hate.
So because we live here in the United States, we can do nothing?
That's scary if you think about it.
gbunt didn't say that.
Because of his(our) families, jobs, obligations we are unable to hop a plane ourselves to Darfur and negotiate peace talks amongst these warring groups. Even if we were, I don't believe that to be God's calling for any of us as it sounds like an easy way to lose one's life.
Prayer is the most powerful and beneficial thing we can do for this situation. Prayer for those making these decisions, prayer for the safety of the thousands of men, women, and children who are being killed/displaced daily while gathering water or food. Don't underestimate the impact our prayer can have on these people and this situation.
We are doing as much as we are able to do, and that is all God asks of us.
nathan, i think i may almost completely disagree with you on this one...
to say that God isnt calling any of us to help because we may lose our lives? um, i am certain that is fallacy. Sometimes the veryt hing God calls us to do is give our lives. Jesus himself says that the greatest love one can have is to give up his life for his friends.
And i agree that prayer is powerful and a very important thing we NEED to be doing, but to say it is the only real thing we can do is completly false as well...
It is my contention that some of us even in our own group may in fact be called to do something more than pray...to take action in an earthly form by going or sending money or sending food or adopting orphans or whatever other means there are....
but just because we live in america, and have families and wives and school and jobs does not negate us from our resposibilites as Christians, especially rich(in comparison to 98% of the world) Christians, to actually do more than pray.
If we say we love God and yet do not love our brothers, we are liars....
Lord, when did we see you hungry and sick...
what you do to the least of these, you do to Me...
Sending money, food, adoption, etc are all things that we can do and should do if we feel God telling us to do so.
Do I feel God calling me to do such things? Not at the moment. I personally do not have the financial ability to give more than am currently giving. If I had an income other than my parents perhaps that would change, but for now, no. I do however feel called to prayer as every Christian is, and I know that prayer is the best thing I can be doing. Do I feel called to go over there and provide some form of assistance? No I do not.
I stand by my statement that I do not feel God calling us to go over there and negotiate peace. I will however say that God could and will call many to the refugee camps in these areas and share the love of Christ with those who desperately need it. To me, their eternity is more important than if their country were to be at war.
To give one's life out of love for others is one thing, but to march into a raging battlefield with nothing but the love of Jesus to share with armed merciless militants who have no desire to listen to the white man is another. Yes, the armor of God will be upon him,(As Im sure you remember Ellie's story from Guatemala)and if there is a person that God is calling to perform such an act of selflessness then I pray that that persons hears his/her calling and answers to it. I do not feel that is me, so I can do nothing but pray for the one God will call. If and when he does.
i think we may be talking about different things, but maybe not. i think you are thinking i am definitly saying all of us as Christians should mount our horses and go meet the Janjaweed head on...which is so NOT what i am saying.
You nailed when you said that is God leads us to one of those paths of action than we should do it. That is exactly the point i was making as well.
And i wasn't personally attacking you, or trying to say that you, Nathan, need to give up your school and go to Africa and put your body between the janjaweed and the sudanese people. I will contend that God could and may call you to do such a thing, but thats between you and Him.
As it is with all of us. Personally, I am tired of talking about it. I'm pretty sure God has given me a passion for the continent of Africa for a reason and now it is my place to prepare for that scenario. God may be simply calling you to pray. Or Katie to pray. Or Cheryl to pray. Or whoever.
But don't think that God won't call us to something more perhaps. Don't put God's ability to use us white americans in Africa in a box.
Thats all i got for now man.
As I was writing my previous response I too got the feeling we were on different wavelengths, thinking of different things, meanwhile still knowing that what is going on in Sudan is wrong and we all want it to stop.
I did not take what you said as a personal attack, I merely used myself as an example. I will also say that I do not wish to offend anyone with anything that I may have previously stated.
I do understand your heart for the contintent of Africa and for that I am extremely grateful to God. For blessing me with so many friends who have the heart, desire, and the calling to go overseas and help those who need it most. I did not wish to devalue your love for the contintent of Africa by my posts. Or to imply that it is any less important than other needs of the world.
God does and will call many of us to something more. Until he does, I know my place is in prayer.
i think we are finally on the same page...
good deal ;)
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