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I woke up early this morning and found myself thinking about Nicolas Winton once again. (Sir Winton was the subject of a story I shared in worship this past Sunday.) He lived a life of grace. In 1938 he led a movement that resulted in the evacuation of 669 children from the Nazi invasion of Czechoslovakia known as the Kinderstransport. His story remained untold until 50 years later when his wife discovered a scrapbook in their attic. It contained all the names of the children who had been saved and welcomed into the homes of people in Great Britain.
What has haunted me is that when the war broke out and the Nazis stopped the passage of children to safety there were over 200 children on a train waiting to leave Prague. Only 2 of those children survived the Holocaust. The “what ifs” of that situation are many. The broken hearts and dismantled families are staggering.
I get lost in the stories of real people as I seek to better understand humanity. I become bewildered at the evil, and amazed at the heroism. And as I have continued to mature (or age, depending on your point of view), I desire more than ever to move the needle closer to kindness, compassion, and empathy. In other words, to work with God in restoring the world. To take seriously that, through the Holy Spirit, Jesus has given us the capacity to choose the good, to love God and our neighbor. To bring together that which is so easily torn apart through my own life and through The Downtown Church. Do I seem to be preaching again? Probably. I guess I am not done learning from Sir Winton.
It is an honor to serve Christ in this world with you.
See you Sunday,
Lori
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