Chosen people

I reread THE HIDING PLACE by Corrie Ten Boom last year. I don't know if a book has ever made an impact on me like that one has...aside from the Bible. I had read it maybe 10 yrs or so ago, but I really don't remember being moved by it or that interested in it. This time it was a different story.

I couldn't put it down. There were so many things that jumped out at me. I remember one particular that really hit. When Corrie was finally taken in. She had the flu and had been in the bed for days with a fever. At the time I got to that chapter I had picked up a stomach bug, so I read that section while I was sick and not feeling well myself. I just kept thinking what a blessing it was to lay in my nice, warm, cozy bed while I was sick. It was just unimaginable to me to have endure what people did during that period.

I don't know if its my age or what, but I just have such a hard time getting my head wrapped around the whole idea of the Holocaust. Since rereading THE HIDING PLACE, I have also read Elie Wiesel's biography. It is so hard for me to understand the mentality of those in the world who did nothing. I can 'get' why Hitler and his crew did what they did. I understand evil.. . I guess indifference and apathy is where I struggle.

When I think about this I wonder what most average, everday folks around the world actually knew about what was going on. I know that the leaders of the countries had to know, but I wonder how informed everyone else was. I want to believe they knew very little, because that makes it so much easier to understand.

I also wonder to myself... what would I have thought. It is so easy to see from the vantage point where I sit today and say that I would have cared. I want to believe that I would. But then I ask myself ...."how many places are there in the world today where people are persecuted and suffer horribly that I am apathetic to?"

I feel so insulated. I almost at times don't feel like I live in reality. I sit in my home here and it is hard to really fathom how the rest of the world lives. As Americans. even our own government isn't grounded in reality. We spend pretend money on things that don't really matter. Our kids think that they are living in poverty when they don't have the lastest gaming system or cell phone. We talk about being descriminated against, but even that alot of times seems so petty compared with the rest of the world's troubles.

I don't know why the Holocaust has gotten my attention so. I studied about it in high school and college and I remember thinking it was bad, but then forgot about it as quickly as I had heard about it. I think it may have to do with the fact that I really believe that we are doomed to repeat past mistakes if we don't study them and really get to the bottom and learn the lessons no matter how painful. So I guess this is the beginning of an education on the Holocaust.

I also have been reading a book about Islam, Christianity, and Judaism. It is written as a historical account. It is interesting to see how these three religions have interacted since about 70 AD. Having read thru most of that book I wonder if the Holocaust wasn't really stopped just because it was Jews. I hate to think that . But once you see in black and white how Jews and Christians have interacted throughout history. I am really ignorant on that subject as it pertains to the last 100 years. But I am thirty three and I can remember people saying things like 'jew someone out of something' or terms like that from my childhood... which was the late 70's to early 80's.

I can't really understand the issue especially for Christians. But maybe there is where my ignorance comes into play. I don't understand completely the relationship between God and the Jews, but there is alot that I don't fully understand. I know that they are His chosen people. Some people find that offensive... I really don't understand that, but I really don't feel one way or the other about it. God is God. He can do as He chooses. If He wants Jews to be His chosen people then fine with me. To me that means that I should pray for them and seek to protect them not destroy them and talk negatively of them.

But its like with so many things. 15 people read the bible and come away with 15 different interpretations. All I can do is rely on the Holy Spirit's guidance and pray that I would understand the truth.

Wow... I didn't mean to just ramble on... But I did.