With Help from My Friends

 The Nine by Gwen Strauss is a true story of WWII prison experiences.  The author's great aunt Helene was one of the nine who escaped a German labor camp, near the end of the war. I usually put myself in stories, which is why these nine interested me.  If you were escaping any prison, don't you think the chances of being caught would increase, the more people involved?  Some wag once said that three can keep a secret if two are dead.  This is why I am amazed that nine agreed to try to escape, never mind execute the escape and traipse across Germany. And the first thing I would do, once out, would be to scatter, and definitely not tell each other where you are headed. They did none of this.  They stayed together as a group and would not let anyone fall behind, even when they wanted to.  It worked.

The journey was a ten day walk from the Leipzig labor camp to France.  Imagine what they looked like.  Nine rag-tag women walking along, some still in prison uniform, some barefoot, dirty, smelly, skinny like walking dead.  I'm surprised no one reported them to the Germans.  I'm also surprised that people helped them.  I can see helping one, but nine!!  The people themselves hardly had food, how could they scrounge enough to feed nine! These women weren't Jewish.  They were resistance fighters, from different countries.  They met in prison, helped each other, and agreed to escape together.

The story made me cry.  I am always amazed at the torture humans can inflict on each other.  Death would be preferable. There were heartening moments in the prison camp.  The women told each other their favorite recipes.  They sang songs.  They became a chosen family.

Surprisingly, after being home a few years, they were reluctant to tell their stories.  Sometimes, someone would write about it, but relatives weren't interested.  I found this very strange.  But this is why the author, a grandniece, wrote the book. Gwen Strauss did extensive research. There are pictures, notes, acknowledgements, and a bibliography. It is a strong, powerful narrative.

The author's research took her to interview the few remaining women, their relatives and even some of the people they encountered on their trek from the prison to France.  None of these women were happy or even had a good life afterwards.  That damn war ruined everything. However, the story is true and an important part of history to never forget.

 

 

 

Earthen Vessels

 People are born sinful.  It's our nature to always have this desire and even misunderstanding to choose badly.  Thank God for His grace.  This doesn't negate our goodness.  Our chosen presidents are not chosen for their moral leadership.  Even those who are chosen for their moral leadership, may choose wrongly, or what seemed like the correct choice, history has proven otherwise.  I'm thinking of the Crusades, the Inquisition, and the handling of Giordano Bruno and Galileo.  

We are earthen vessels, after all.  2 Cor 4:7. Lord have mercy.

God of All

Why are religions exclusionary, when Jesus healed those not included and even considered sinners? I copied and pasted this from an AI query.

• The Centurion's Servant (Matthew 8:5–13): Jesus praised the Roman centurion for having greater faith than anyone in Israel, healing his paralyzed servant from a distance.
• The Canaanite/Syrophoenician Woman’s Daughter (Matthew 15:21–28): Despite initial reluctance, stating his mission was to the "lost sheep of Israel," Jesus commended her persistence and faith, healing her demon-possessed daughter.
• The Gadarene Demoniac (Mark 5:1–20): In the Gentile region of the Gerasenes, Jesus cast "Legion" out of a man, freeing him from possession.
• The Deaf and Mute Man (Mark 7:31–37): This healing occurred in the Decapolis, a, region comprised largely of ten Greek cities, showing his ministry extended into pagan territory.
• The Samaritan Leper (Luke 17:11–19): Among ten lepers healed, only the Samaritan—a mixed-race foreigner often treated as an outcast by Jews—returned to give thanks

I copied and pasted the above reference, from an AI query.  

Blame is a Waste of Time

 It has always puzzled me, even as a child, why the first question some people ask is, "Who did this?"  

How does that fix the immediate problem?  Later, once the problem is fixed, the cause(s) can be ascertained.  

Why do we blame others? 

 I will tell you a story about the King of Spain, Felipe VI.  My Spanish teacher's family lived in Spain, for a while.  Her son went to an International School, there.  One day, the boys held a birthday party in a hotel room. Suddenly, the hotel security and others burst into the party.  They demanded to know, who was throwing peanuts down from the balcony.

A young boy stepped forward.  The atmosphere hushed.  The security spoke to the boy in a respectful, but firm tone, in words something like this, "Your majesty, you should not throw peanuts down from the balcony....."

Besides the fact, that he was scolded, what registered in everyone's mind, was "Your majesty."

No one knew who Felipe was, until that moment.

Again, I ask.  "Why look to blame?"  Look what the security people did.  They exposed a person who wanted to be quiet about who he was.  Why didn't they say, "Stop throwing peanuts down!!!"  That's what they wanted the result to be. 

All this came to mind, when I read today's Readings, John 9: 1-41.  The religious authority weren't amazed that a man born blind could suddenly see.  They wanted to blame somebody. They were concerned with breaking the sabbath--control. 

Of course, that's not the point.  Sin is being blind.  Spirituality is about seeing.  

 It beats me how people can keep secrets for years, in this case, over sixty years.  Although I realize that I have never suffered trauma, like Eva did in The Book of Lost Names by Hanna Harmel.

The setting is France in WWII.  Eva is Jewish.  When France was first invaded by Germany, there was a section of France that people felt safe, called the Free Zone.  Gradually, that was not so, but in the beginning of the story, we see Eva's father picked up by the Gestapo.  Eva and her mother run to the Free Zone.  Eva's mother proves to be a pain in the a$$.  

The mother wouldn't leave their Paris apartment: what if their father came home and couldn't find them, where are we going, we don't know anyone there, etc.  

Eva worked for the resistance by forging documents.  However, the work was inside a Catholic Church.  The leader was a Catholic priest.  Eva falls in love with a Catholic.

As you can imagine, the mother complained the entire time. Poor Eva was torn between saving Jews and her mother.  Fortunately, the mother lost and Eva continued her work. As the war progressed, their town and the Free Zone wasn't safe.  They had to escape to Switzerland.

The title of the book, The Book of Last Names, comes from Eva's code.  In an old Catholic book, Eva put the true names of the people, whose names she changed in a code.  The ending of book has Eva responding to advertisement, looking for the book's owner.  Eva responds and she is united with the book.

I learned about forging as resistance, in this story.  It saved many lives.

You Don't Understand the Incarnation

 When Jesus was conceived in Mary, He took on human flesh.  That includes all of humanity.  He acted human.  I can think of three times when He acted like something I would do.  One is in Luke 2: 41-52. The family left Jerusalem without Jesus.  He was old enough to hang out with His friends, or travel with His cousins, etc.  So, Mary and Joseph weren't initially aware that He stayed behind.

In thinking back, I can recall many times I didn't tell my parents where I was, when I should have been in another place.  Skipping school, or church, or hanging out with kids I knew my mother wouldn't approve.

Another time, Jesus must have been tired, worn out, and had little patience, and he snapped at a woman and called her a "dog."  Matt 15: 21-28 and Mark 7: 24-30.  Anyone who has hung around me, especially when I haven't had enough sleep, knows that I have little patience.  To this day, I recall snapping at a student that had a little crush on me.  I pray for her.  She even came to my wedding and sat in the back.  I still feel remorse.

Lastly, Jesus cries out, in the Garden of Gethsemane, "Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me." Haven't you found yourself in a situation where you prayed to get out of it?  Why did I ever volunteer to Lector, fund raise, chaperone, etc.  Right now, at age 80, I pray to die before my children and husband.  But like Jesus, I add, "Not my will but Yours, Lord."

Jesus had two natures and His human nature was like ours.  If you don't think so, then you don't understand the Incarnation.

Of and/or From

 It drives me crazy that many think that the First Amendment says "Freedom from religion."  No it's "Freedom of religion."

Think about it.

Why would our Founding Fathers say "Freedom from religion", when the reason they came to America in the first place was to be free to practice their religion?  The Amendment says the government will protect you so you can practice your religion, not keep religion away from you.  

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