God is Here

This last weekend, yesterday in fact, my daughters and I visited the Simon Wisenthal Center Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.  We had been planning a trip for some time and were excited to finally make the one hour trek from Redlands. Upon arriving, we were just in time to hear Holocaust survivor William Harvey speak for one hour.  We noted how beautifully simple the museum was with its smooth white walls and spiral walkway that resembled the delicate curves of a giant sea shell.  Black and white portraits of Holocaust survivors lined the outer walls - memorializing those who survived such atrocities and lived to tell about it.

Mr. Harvey sat in front of about 50 of us and told his story of what it was like to live in Nazi Germany under the hateful fist of Hitler. The room was draped in hushed attention during that sacred hour of hearing how Mr. Harvey recalled memory after memory - unpacking each detail carefully and holding it up to the light for each of us to examine.  We were breathless. 

If you are familiar with the Holocaust, you know then that the Germans and their collaborators were responsible for murdering and torturing 1.5 million Jewish children alone.  The total victims counting ethnic Poles, Romani, Soviet civilians, Soviet prisoners of war, people with disabilities, homosexuals, Jehovah's Witnesses, and other political and religious opponents equals about 11 to 17 million... 

As we sat there mesmerized by William Harvey's recollection, these facts weighed heavily on our hearts and punctuated our mind's eye as we were invited to vicariously trudge this horrible journey. In retracing his footsteps, we were placed smack dab in the face of evil. 

The question that kept coming to mind was how Mr. Harvey  maintained his dignity and sense of hope amidst such vile hatred.  I could not help but begin tracking my own catalog of personal experiences where I felt offended at one time or another and where I had offended.  Just behind where Mr. Harvey reclined in his chair was a wall of quotes by Martin Luther King Jr., Ghandi and Simon Wisenthal.  Banked line upon line in large grey and black fonts - unmistakable words of hope.  Somehow, my offenses began to grow smaller and smaller compared to the cruelty I was now privy to. 

Some have asked, "Where was God?" in regards to such a black stain in recent human history. Some still do ask this question, especially after a report of earthquake or child abuse.  Where is he?  Some would argue that he cannot interfere for it would strip us of our freedom and then God's enemies would accuse him of favoritism. Others protest that God is not interested in the affairs of men and sits as an aloof divine magistrate high above our lowly heads.  What do you think?  I mean, when you really look at planet earth's dilemma from all the angles you can muster - what does your heart and mind come up with? For even the most seasoned theologians find this matter far from being cut and dried.  And while some may perk up with quick answers - we all must decide for ourselves what conclusion makes the most sense for us - not our neighbor.

William Harvey - Holocaust survivor - gave his answer in the form of personal testimony. He told us, "I hold no grudges and no blame. No blame for having my childhood stolen away. I have no hate because we cannot afford to hate. Hate destroys. And my greatest success? My grandchildren!"  You see, when the dust settles and the smoke clears (and it does) - we see with new eyes and spirits that no longer blame God or Satan; our neighbor or our spouse; our boss or anyone. We see that all of humanity is equal - all have tears and smiles. All have loved and lost. All have lived and done the best they knew how with what they had.

No more hate. No more blame. No more scapegoating. No more.  Where is God? God is here. Thank you Mr. Harvey for showing me what that looks like first-hand.

S.N. Belmonte 2010