C.A.N.D.L.E.S.- A Glimpse of Hope

This is a short excerpt from my sermon for this week, and since I wanted to share this experience on my blog anyway, what better way to do it? Scripture is Mark 4:26-34- the parable of the mustard seed.

This past week, Corey and I had the chance of a lifetime when we visited the CANDLES Holocaust museum here in town. For those of you who don’t know, CANDLES stands for Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors and focuses on the events of the Holocaust, especially children and those who were victims of human experimentation. We were greeted at the door by Ms. Eva Kor herself, the founder of the museum and a survivor of human experimentation in Auschwitz. As we listened to her story and saw the tattooed number on her arm, we were horrified at what had happened to her, but at the same time, we were amazed by her courage, her strength, her hope, and the forgiveness she has publicly shown to her perpetrators. Out of her courage, hope, and forgiveness, she has devoted her life to bringing a message and peace and hope to the world. What started out as a small seed of fear and hatred has become an instrument for peace and forgiveness. What she has done is life-changing and brings a message for us all- that to forgive is to transform ourselves. This is indeed a glimpse of the kingdom of God for me. (End of sermon excerpt)

Check out the website here: http://www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org/

Especially with the recent shooting at the Holocaust Museum in D.C. this week...as one of my friends pointed out, tragic events like this are reminders of why the museum must exist, and that we must never forget. I will never forget my experience at the Holocaust Museum- I was 17 years old (my Jewish faith was an active and important part of my life at the time), and I walked through the museum with my family and a close friend. My most vivid memory is seeing the piles and piles of shoes encased in a glass room. I also remember seeing a Torah scroll that had been defaced by the Nazis. The sight was overwhelming. The fact that there are still people out there who do not believe there was a Holocaust or people that are still in line with the prejudice and hatred that the Holocaust was all about...it sickens me. At least there are people out there like Eva who are strong enough to share their story and offer a glimpse of hope for a world free from hatred, violence, and prejudice. My sermon is about the mustard seed this week- and that's all it takes...something small can grow into something life-giving and grand if we only start somewhere.