Sunday, December 30, 2012

Anne


Today my two younger children, my oldest daughter and myself visited The Anne Frank exhibit in Sandy Springs Georgia.

http://holocaust.georgia.gov/anne-frank-world-1929-1945

I had an individual ask "why" I would expose my young children to such information and I replied that I felt it to be vitally important that my children understand what fortitude is, particularly in the times we are living in. Fortitude is the strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage. I believe we are living in times that require fortitude. I hope my children do not need a great deal of such an attribute, but I am not naive as to what is going on in our world. I believe Anne Frank was one of those individuals that had fortitude.There were many of them during WWII, that had fortitude. Most of them will tragically never have their stories told. We are very blessed, world wide, to have the privilege to at least hear Anne's story and hopefully not repeat such an atrocity. Despite what Anne was going through, hidden in the secret annex, she remained Anne and she was strong. Sadly Anne did not survive, like many, many others,(6 million Jews, but up to 11 million murdered if one counts the disabled, elderly, Romanies and others.......they should not be forgotten) but her legacy of fortitude lives on and inspires and strengthens others even today. As we toured the exhibit today we viewed many pictures displaying the murderous affect of hatred. Jews, Gypsies, the disabled and elderly being treated in the manner of disposable refuge. Trash. Less than human. You could see the fear in their eyes eternalized on film. Then there were other examples of "less than human" treatment, in our own country, that were also documented next to the photos of the Shoah, the Holocaust. The treatment of minorities, particularly African Americans, is also documented at the exhibit as well. It's a shameful blight in our nation's history. It's a shameful blight on human history. There are so many throughout history......

"An offended brother is more unyielding than a fortified city, and disputes are like the barred gates of a citadel."

Proverbs 18:19

 

As we were leaving the exhibit my eight year old, my youngest, asked me why people do such things. It was beyond her, as it should be. Only one thought entered my mind. My only answer, very simply, was offense. Offense! What an evil thing offense is I told her! I explained to her that when a person becomes offended they create a "door" for all sorts of evil to enter. When that evil enters then a person's thinking, their mind, their very perception, can be twisted and they will believe all sorts of lies! It "colors" everything they see and soon they just don't see things in the correct light. It isn't long until the person believing those lies develops hatred for others that they percieve have "hurt" them and then eventually they act on that hatred. Germany, for example, had been enduring all sorts of severe financial hardship, prior to WWII. As a country they were really hurting. People were starving. Hitler exploited their desperate situation and turned them against those that were different than them or those he viewed not worthy of life because of his own twisted perception. He served up a group of individuals to blame for all their problems and encouraged them to take revenge. As I pondered my own words (were they my own words?) I thought about how easy it is to become offended and then as a result become deceived. Offense is truly the BAIT OF SATAN!!!!! (John Bevere's book goes into this at great length and in great detail) Offense literally gives the adversary "license" to reign in our lives since forgiveness is central to our faith and the kingdom. I thought rather than judge Germany or anyone participating in discrimination or hatred it would be prudent to continually examine my own heart so that I do not enter into such a state of being. It really is so easy to go there. We all suffer. We all get hurt. We all live in this fallen world. No one is above it, really. In small ways, through out our world, I see it every day. In small ways I even see it in the community of believers from time to time. One does not agree with another and rather than agree to disagree in a respectful way the situation proceeds to offense. Offense then becomes destructive. Do we realize what we are "playing" with? Father help us!


 

These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.
James 1:15


 

Forgiveness is the central to our faith, I explained to my children. Why did Yeshua die? He died so that our sins might be forgiven. If that is the case who are we to think we EVER have a right to be offended with another? We do not. The cost, for our Savior, was way too tremendous.

 

How many times are we to forgive others? Always.

 

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5:44-45

Enough said. Don't you think?


Never forget..........