Don't Be Silent

This Last Tuesday was Holocaust Remembrance (Memorial) Day. It was (and is) a time to reflect on what happened during WWII and, for me at least, to think about how the Christian Church (for the most part, with a few exceptions) were implicit in much of what happened simply by their silence. How could a whole Nation, which was considered, for the most part, to be a Christian Nation at the time, allow such barbarity to occur?

There is an ancient fortress in Israel. According to the Masada National Park, Masada was fortified approx. 2,200 years ago, later being enlarged and reinforced by Herod the Great (to learn more, you can read about it at the Jewish Virtual Library, and this article at the National Guard website, among others). In the years between 66 A.D. and 73 A.D., about a thousand Jews took refuge there from the Roman army. As the Romans besieged the city, the Jews defended themselves there, until finally they all committed mass suicide, rather than be taken alive by the Roman army. A common practice with IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) soldiers today is to go up to Masada and take an oath: "Masada shall not fall again."

I share the above to say that I believe that we (meaning everyone of course, but specifically Christians) need to take a similar stance: We will stand with Israel; we will not remain silent and allow what happened during WWII to happen again.

I'm sure many of the "good Christian folk" of that time thought that were were innocent because they didn't personally take physical action against their *Jewish neighbors (though any DID!). But their silence, and turning a blind eye made them just as culpable. If one witnesses a crime in the United States and keeps silent, he or she is counted as complicit in the crime as well.

Now is the time, while we still have some semblance of freedom, to speak up, and stand for truth. We must determine in our hearts now, how we might act and speak if we are put into a situation where we are confronted with a situation similar to WWII.

We must not remain silent.

To see and hear a great (and sobering) video by Messianic Praise and Worship artist Ted Pearce about the Holocaust, go here.

.j.

*It must be noted that Jewish people were not the only people that suffered under the Nazi regime - Political dissidents, Christians who spoke out, Captured Russian soldiers, Homosexuals, Gypsies, and others were also exterminated in Hitlers death camps. NO one deserves to be treated this way, and so ALL should be remembered during Yom Hashoah (Holocaust Remembrance Day).