Amidst all the atrocities we have discussed in the past few blogs, there is an aspect of the human condition that we do not hear much about and that is history also tells of of a few individuals who risked much to help those in need. An example in recent years is the movie “Schindler’s List” which tells us the story of a businessman who, during the Holocaust, saved about 1100 Jews by employing them in his factory.
But have you hear of Aristedes De Sousa Mendes? Mendes was a Catholic and the Portuguese Consul General in Bordeaux, France during World War II. The Portuguese had banned the passage of refuges into their country but thousands of Jewish refugees were desperately seeking to leave France to escape the Nazis. Mendes, instead of following his government’s orders, stamped thousands of passports with Portuguese visas. Because of his actions, he was recalled to Portugal, dismissed from the Foreign Ministry, and stripped of all his retirement and severance benefits. He was forced to sell his ancient family estate and died forgotten and impoverished. Sempo Gugihara, the Japanese Consul General in Lithuania, suffered a similar fate as did many others who risked much to help the Jewish people.[1]
What the above teaches us that we truly are made in the image of God and as the book of Psalms states we are made just a little lower than God (Psalms 8). While we have enormous potential for evil, we also have enormous potential for good. History has demonstrated both. So we have a choice. Either we can follow our fallen nature or we can work with God to renovate our soul so it becomes like God. The choice is ours.
____________________________________
[1] Harold M. Schulveis. For Those Who Can’t Believe. New York: HarperPerennial, 1994. pp.150-151.
