“I will give, in my house and within my walls,
a monument and a name (a ‘yad Vashem)
better than sons and daughters;
I will give them an everlasting name
that shall not be cut off.” –Isaiah 56:5
In 1953, the Israeli Parliament established Yad Vashem, the World Holocaust Remembrance Center. This sacred place is entrusted with the task of researching, documenting, and educating the world about the Holocaust that killed over 6 million Jews and millions of other people who stood against the Nazis. Yad Vashem works to keep the names and the memory of these victims so they will not be forgotten. This place is essential. The world must remember these victims while being encouraged to actively hold back the evil that can cause such atrocities to occur.
Among the many parts of Yad Vashem is a collection of names and stories of non-Jewish people who risked their lives to rescue Jews during the holocaust. These individuals are known as the Righteous Among the Nations. They were ordinary people who served as a light in one of the darkest moments the world has ever seen. They were ordinary people who used their positions, voices, skills, and connections to hide and smuggle Jewish people to safety. For many of these, their resistance would cost them their lives. There are over 28,000 people listed as Righteous Among the Nations, and their stories are recorded at Yad Vashem and online for the world to read and be inspired.
One brave person who is listed as Righteous Among the Nations is Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds. Master Sgt. Edmonds served in the U.S. Army. While fighting in Europe, Roddie Edmonds was taken prisoner by the Germans. He, along with many other POWs, was taken to Germany and housed Stalag IXA. One evening, the German officer in charge ordered that all Jewish POWs would report the following morning. Master Sergeant Edmonds, the ranking non-commissioned officer of the Allies, ordered all POWs to report. When the German officer in charge saw all the POWs in formation the next day, he told Master Sgt. Edmonds, “They cannot all be Jews.” Edmonds replied, “We are all Jews.”
There was an intense exchange between the German officer and Master Sgt. Edmonds, including a pistol being put to Edmonds’ head, but he did not back down. The Jewish soldiers of Stalag IXA were saved that day. Many of them survived the war and were able to return home.
When we recognize our common heritage—that we are all children of God—we understand that we must care for one another. We must speak up for those being singled out as recipients of hate. All of God’s children deserve love and hope. It is challenging to think that antisemitism has not faded into history. Hate is still very much a part of our world.
As a people of faith, we are called to stand up to hate. This is why St. Luke’s has joined with the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism and the national campaign to share the Blue Square and bring awareness to Antisemitism. We are God’s children; we are our brother’s keeper.
Please take the time to learn more about this critical work. At St. Luke’s, we are committed to sharing God’s love and bringing hope to the world. We, too, must work to be a light in dark times, speaking love in a world where hate continues to grasp for a foothold.
To learn more about the Blue Square Campaign, please go to: https://stlukesokc.org/blue-square/
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” -Matthew 5:16
Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
