Thoughts After Seeing Schindler’s List

Schindler's List  is a 1993 American film about Oskar Schindler,  a German business man who saved the lives of more than a thousand mostly Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust by employing them in his factories. At the time of the film's release, there were fewer than 4,000 Jews left alive in Poland, but more than 6,000 descendants of the Schindler Jews throughout the world. He risked his own life to save others.

I was stunned by this movie, in shock, numb. I thought I would cry during it, but I cried only briefly. I did cry during the night. I woke up thinking about the movie and feeling very, very sad. I cried for all mankind.

The Holocaust really happened to real people. How could it have happened? How can anyone say there is no evil in the world?

This happened in the 1940’s. Is the world a better place today? Or is it worse? Could it happen again? 

It already has happened again in Bosnia and Rwanda even though world communication is very rapid now. War, brutality and killing continue today in many “hot spots” around the world.

How can God not judge mankind?  We are all guilty. We have done mean, cruel things to others. We have used power to get our own way. We have all turned our back on the suffering of others.

Jesus suffered the same indignities as those in the Holocaust. He was stripped of everything including his clothing. He was beaten, taunted, and unjustly crucified. He died a painful death. 

What can we do to heal our world?  Is letting our “light” shine enough?  

Love Does Not Delight in Evil

1 Corinthians 13:6  “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.”

The Message puts it: Love “doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything.”

Love does not delight in evil. How to apply this? When someone sins or fails, when someone is humiliated by their own wrong doing – am I amused or pleased? Am I judgmental? Or do I realize that I sin and fail, and do or say stupid or even wrong things?

Delighting in evil — don’t we all do it? Someone else’s downfall is an occasion for juicy gossip. Someone we know divorces, or loses their job or leaves their church, or goes to jail.  We gleefully ask for the details so we can pray for them. Or do we ask so we can gloat over the fact that we would never do what they did.

We need to remember we are all sinners and all sin is equal.  

Love doesn’t rejoice in wrong doing. Instead, love rejoices in the truth—in the flowering of the truth. In other words, we need to assume the best about others, especially those whose sins (or problems) are most obvious. We need to see others from God’s point of view and from their own perspective – and believe in the good in them. We can expect a blade of truth to grow and blossom.

Lord, this is a difficult verse. Help us ponder your meaning about this as it applies to us.

Blessings, Dottie