Like many Christians, I have a number of Bibles. My oldest is one my mom gave me, as a teenager. It is a hardbound KJV [Charles] “Ryrie” study Bible. I never use it, as it is just too big and cumbersome. It’s kind of neat for me to flip through it however, as it contains treasures that would mean nothing to anyone but me. The inside back cover has a Texas Longhorn sticker, given to me by a good friend as I entered the Army to remind me of my roots. There is a “counselor” sticker in it from a time I got to serve, at a Petra concert. There are notes, doodles, and even a torn portion of page … that have distinct memories associated with them. One item on the inside front cover is a sticker that has Psalm 122:6 printed on it:
Psalm 122:6 (KJV) – “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.”
I can say, that I have always held a deep and abiding love for Israel and its people. Aside from perhaps the obvious tie-that-binds through, Christianity in general; I have always had a deeper associated elective bind – that if she and her people meant so much to God – they would mean the same to me. I’m not quite sure even where it started but it has been present and pronounced, as long as I can remember. To give you an idea of the degree of my sincerity; after spending seven years, in the U.S. Army … I looked into becoming a member of the Israeli army (much easier to do than you might think). Make no mistake, I’m not a zealot with some lost sense of identity – I simply, valued the idea of participating in the protection of a nation, I hold dear; and one I saw becoming increasingly hated throughout the world.
My son and I just finished watching the series “Band of Brothers”. It closes the series by focusing on the discovery of the many concentration camps uncovered, at the end of WWII. My son (God bless him) is well aware of these atrocities, as we have discussed them many times over the years. We recently, watched “Schindler’s List”, as well and he, being the very passionate young man that he is … initiated the need to review talks of grace and forgiveness, as he wanted to place his hands on the throat of all things German and squeeze tightly.
Wounds must heal. For wounds to heal … the scabs must not be picked at. New skin has to grow under the protection of these scabs. As long as the wound is kept fresh … it cannot heal. There is a monumental difference however, in the healing of a wound … and forgetting a wound. Although, my son (13 yrs old) is knowledgeable of the atrocities done to millions of Jews, Gypsies, and other Eastern Europeans during WWII … I’m finding that many his age, are not. As it has come up conversationally among his friends, many of them are only vaguely familiar that “something happened” to the Jews … and some have also, heard it wasn’t true.
After, Reinhard Heydrich was assassinated during WWII, the small village of Lidice was made an example of by Hitler. All men over 16 years of age from the village were immediately publicly executed. The women and children were sent to concentration camps where most were killed. The village of Lidice was set on fire and the remains of the buildings were bulldozed. All remains were exhumed from local cemeteries and destroyed, as well. Hitler’s bizarre reprisal would be in the form of removing them from history; to deny their very existence.
It was an insidious goal that only served to make their place in history, more prominent and inspiring; as I am now, aware of their presence where without his efforts very probably would not have been. Where these direct efforts to conceal truth only made the truth more pronounced … a different action is serving today, to make much of the evil surrounding WWII decay, in myth. Inaction and denial.
There were facilities … killing centers … built by human beings, for the controlled, efficient, and complete destruction of other human beings, on a mass level. Just as we might build cars, today – in assembly line fashion. Murder of millions was conducted and carried out, in the same manner. The Germans during WWII planned, built, and managed these facilities. They had names, geography, staff, and purpose. We must not forget these names … nor their purpose.
http://www.shoaheducation.com/killingcenters.html
Auschwitz
Belzec
Bialystok
Birkenau
Chelmno
Furstengrube
Gross-Rosen
Janowska
Brinlitz-Plaskow
Majdanek
Mielec
Sobibor
Treblinka
Bergen-Belsen
Buchenwald
Dachau
Esterwegen
Flossenberg
Mauthausen
Melk
Mittel-bau Dora
Natzweiler
Neuengamme
Nordhausen
Ravensbruck
Sachsenhausen
Stutthof
9th Fort
Hinzert
Drancy
Terezin
Amersfoote
Westerbork
Lidice
Vught
Lager
Babiyar
Dalstroy
karaganda
Pechora
Tayshet
Zagreb-Jasenovac
Where a wound must be allowed to be healed … its origins cannot be forgotten – lest it become the vague essence of cliché – “If history teaches us anything … it’s that man learns nothing from history.”
Without having the context to fit words into … they can have many meanings. Without knowing the intentions, of the speaker … they may be taken many different ways; even honorably. History helps us to understand that words, do not make the man. Their actions do. Lest we forget … I’ll close with these historic words.
“The streets of our country are in turmoil. Universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country. Russia is threatening us with her might. And the republic is in danger – yes – danger from within and without. We need law and order. Without law and order our nation cannot survive.” — Adolf Hitler – 1932
