By 1945, in Nazi-occupied Europe, two thirds of its Jewish population – men, women and children – were murdered.
“First they came …” is a popular poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.
First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a communist;
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a trade unionist;
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew;
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak out for me.
If we were around then, do you think we as a youth church would have stood up for what we believed in, or been silent as many others in the church were?
Posted by Rachel Kate | February 12, 2010, 10:41 amVery good question. While it is one thing to make a stand and boldly face death by yourself, it is completely different when you realise that your actions may condemn your wife and children to death. I imagine people were too scared to make a stand, but didn’t realise that by being passive, they only contributed to the horror, in the end.
Posted by Symon | February 12, 2010, 11:11 amI so love the stories of the families that risked everything to hide jews and other people in their homes… I hope we would all have been like that.
Posted by PaisleyJade | February 12, 2010, 9:18 pm