Yesterday's paper had some sad news: "Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor, Nobel Laureate, passed away." Those of you who know his name, know that he was at Auschwitz during the Second World War, held in the concentration camp and was released when he was 16 years old. He lived to write a book called 'Night' where he outlined some of the things that had gone on in those concentration camps. He died in his Manhattan home at the age of 87.
In that book, he says these words, "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp which has turned my life into one long camp, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames, which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget the nocturnal silence, which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget the moments, which murdered my God and my soul, and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things even if I am condemned to live long as God Himself. Never." Those were the words of Elie Wiesel in his book, talking about all that he had gone through in his life as a youngster - being put in the camp in his teenage years, and not able to come to terms with the silence that followed, as the world looked at what had happened and their own mute silence, especially the Jews in the United States.
Martin Niem̦ller was a pastor who opposed Hitler, and spent 7 years in the concentration camps. He wrote these words that have been used so often, but in context, makes such poignant reading. He says, "First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out Рbecause I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out Рbecause I was not a Jew. Then they came for me Рand there was no one left to speak for me."
Really hard words! Martin Luther King, Jr. put it in perspective and says, "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." It made me think about what really matters in my life, in the things that surround me. What are things that are going around that I need to speak about or write about or make known? Am I being silent when I should be speaking?
I remember reading a one-liner many years ago that said, "Silence isn't always golden; sometimes it's just plain yellow." I wonder sometimes whether we are silent because we lack the courage of conviction to say something.
In a talk at the University of Chicago, Elie Wiesel was being interviewed and was reminded about his good friend Primo Levi, who was also with him at Auschwitz and had committed suicide. Elie Wiesel says that he died at Auschwitz 40 years later. He said that Primo Levi called him about a week before he committed suicide and Elie Wiesel said, "I knew something was wrong and I said, 'Primo, I am going to put the phone down, and you are going to put the phone down. Then you are going to go to the airport and there will be a ticket waiting for you. I want you to take that ticket and come to New York. I will meet you and clear my entire schedule for the next one week, and I'm going to spend it with you.' There was a long silence at the other end of the phone and then these words came: 'It's too late.' " Wiesel says, "I was certain of the tragedy that would follow."
It all begins with being able to stand by convictions. What is it that we need to be doing, whether it is to be speaking out or calling a friend, being able to do what we need to do?
Raoul Wallenberg was a Swedish diplomat in the 1940s. During the Holocaust that threatened so many lives, he was working in the Swedish government and he decided to help the Hungarian Jews. He set up safe housing, soup kitchens, hospitals. On one occasion he saw Jews being loaded onto a train destined for the death camps and he demanded that all the prisoners with passports get off the train. Prisoners waved at him any piece of paper they could find – eyeglass prescriptions, driver's license, even deportation papers. He honored them all as passports, saving 300 lives. It is estimated that during the war, Wallenberg offered diplomatic protection to approximately 200,000 Hungarian Jews, just because he felt it was the right thing to do.
This really got me thinking about the right thing that we need to do, and it always starts with our own convictions and whether we are willing to stand up for our convictions, however difficult or inconvenient it may be. It may not have to do with great government politics. It can start with the small things, the things that go on in our office spaces. What is not right about them? Is there something that we need to speak about? Are we being quiet when we ought to be taking a stand?
Kasey Ferris, the mother of 5 kids says that she was waiting for a movie 'Inside Out' by Pixar, to take her 5 children. Finally there was a deal - $5 per ticket and it included popcorn. She said, "The only thing that I needed was a drink and I decided to take 5 bottles of drinks inside my bag. It was not allowed."
Her littlest one said, "Let me carry my bottle in."
Her mom said, "No, I can't let you do that."
"Why?"
She said, "Well, they may not like it."
The little one asked, "Is it not allowed? Are we not supposed to?"
The mother said, "Well, yes. But in this case, it's alright."
The little one said, "Then I will not take my bottle of water in. keep it in the car."
All the other kids tried to make this one change her mind, but she wouldn't. Finally the mother said, "I was so convicted by this girl, that I kept all the bottles in the car. We went in and I spent the extra $25 on buying the drinks for the kids. But it was the most beautiful and peaceful moment. That's what happens when you stand up for your convictions or the convictions of people around you."
I started with Elie Wiesel and talked about Primo Levi and Raoul Wallenberg and Kasey Ferris – all having to do with convictions. It made me think: What do you and I need to do today? What do you and I need to speak out about that needs to be spoken? Who needs you today? Before we hear the words "It's too late", who needs you? Maybe today is just the day for us to look around and observe; see whether there are needs around, brokenness, hollow eyes, dreams that have been killed in our colleagues and maybe we ought to be a friend today. Let's just call today 'Looking-out-for-friends Day,' a day when we give of ourselves to those we work with or are around. My prayer is that God would lead you to the right person, to do the right thing, to say the right thing, or just to be the friend that they need.
Let me pray with you.
Almighty God, help us to do what is right, to point out injustices if there are, to be a friend to somebody who desperately needs a friend today. But give us the wisdom to know who to talk to, what we need to say, and what we need to stand up for. Highlight our convictions today and give us courage. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.
• Joseph Berger, "Elie Wiesel, Auschwitz survivor, Nobel Laureate, dies." http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/world/europe/elie-wiesel-auschwitz-survivor-and-nobel-peace-prize-winner-dies-at-87.html?_r=0
• Raoul Wallenberg, quoted from "God's Little Devotional Journal for Teens." June 13. Honor Books, Colorado Springs, CO.
• Martin Luther King, Jr., quote. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/martinluth103526.html
• Kasey Ferris, "The Day My Daughter Taught Me The Courage Of Conviction." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/the-day-my-daughter-taugh_b_8004298.html?section=india
• Primo Levi narrative by Elie Wiesel, "A Conversation with Elie Wiesel." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IABEgWaYm-k
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