At the turn of the 20th century my family immigrated to the United States to flee from escalating antisemitism in Eastern Europe, which culminated in the Holocaust during WWII.
Though my ancestors saw the writing on the wall and avoided the worst, others weren't as fortunate; my mom recalls visitors at her childhood house who had prisoner numbers on their arms.
Many wondered, "Where was God in Auschwitz?"
Yet while some became embittered atheists after witnessing the horrors of the 20th century, others kept their faith...such as concentration camp survivor Victor Frankl who wrote Man's Search for Meaning, in which he argues that a person's spirit may transcend even the darkest circumstances.
Sometimes I wonder why God didn't bring heaven to earth right after Satan's defeat at the cross. Why allow further suffering? But then I realize this is a shortsighted way of looking at the situation, limited by my human perspective.
If we are to be the Body of Christ for God's glory, to be His hands and feet...then we need to understand that the image of God isn't often found in the rich, famous, and "flawless," but in the weak, brokenhearted, rejected people of the world -- and we are assigned to bring God's love to such people. When Jesus returns He will have a glorified body, but He will also still have scars on His hands as a symbol of His character and divine love.
As for Holocaust victims who accepted Christ's sacrifice, I wonder if their resurrected bodies will still be marked with their prison numbers as a testament to the victory of life over death and good over evil.
No comments:
Post a Comment