REMEMBRANCE

 BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

A few journal entries ago, I mentioned my 2017 visit to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Enshrined on one wall are words from Isaiah 43: "'You are my witnesses,' declares the Lord.'"


Today is International Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorating the Jewish lives lost, along with the suffering of other minority groups during the events that unfolded in Europe, unjustly inflicted by Hitler and his nazi regime. 


On January 27, 1945 — 80 years ago — the Auschwitz concentration camp found liberation as the Red Army freed the people there. 


My heart hurts, and I feel heavy. Today is heavy, not only because of the grave injustice and oppression people experienced during the Holocaust but because of the forces of evil that led to the mindless following of Hitler's commands and their existence among us still today. 


As I think about the state of our world and the continued perpetuation of division, I cannot help but wonder how my great-grandfather, Robert, would view the world now. He served our country throughout World War II, fighting for democracy and freedom. 


As Ephesians 6:12 teaches us, "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens."


It's important to remember that the evil we face is not found in people who look, love, or live differently than we do. That kind of thinking — that difference is dangerous — is a lie, plain and simple. 


God made us all in His image, which means every single person has worth. The real evil comes from the forces that twist those differences into fear and hate, making us think we have to pick sides or draw lines. That is not God's way.


Jesus did not call us to divide ourselves or worry about who belongs in which camp. He told us to love our neighbor — period. And let us be honest here: loving our neighbor isn't always comfortable or easy. 


It means stepping outside of our little bubbles and seeing people for who they are — human, like us. When we care for the least of these, when we look after the ones who've been ignored or cast aside, we are doing God's work. That's not about politics or ideology; it's about living out our faith.


Now, it is no secret that some folks, especially those in power, make a habit of stirring the pot. They get us riled up over things that don't matter in the grand scheme of things, all while turning us against each other. 


Some of those leaders — you know the ones I am talking about — have made it their mission to divide and conquer. But we don't have to play their game. We are more intelligent than that, and our faith calls us to something better.


Instead of letting their nonsense distract us, we need to focus on what really matters. Keep your eyes open, roll up your sleeves, and pray like you mean it. Learn the truth and live the gospel. 


Today, on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we are reminded of the horrors people faced when evil went unchecked. And if we are honest, there are still echoes of that evil in the world today — in the way people are mistreated, oppressed, or left behind. 


It is up to us to call it out and fight against it, not with hate but with the kind of love that Jesus showed. Unity starts when we stop focusing on what divides us and start focusing on what brings us together — our shared humanity, the fact that we're all made by the same God. 


Let us live in a way that shines His light, even when the world feels dark. Let us not let evil win. Like Romans 12:21 says, "Don't be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good." That's the mission. Let us get to it.

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