Bear witness...never let them forget

I'm a Social Studies teacher and whenever I teach European History, I always show a movie about the Holocaust called "Escape From Sobibor." It's a story about the only successful mass escape that concentration camp prisoners ever made against the Nazis. At the end of the movie, the leader of the Jews gets up in front of the prisoners and tells them, "for those of you that make it out of here, bear witness. Let the whole world know what has happened here. Never forget. Never forget." These Jewish prisoners put up with such unspeakable horrors, not because they wanted to survive. It would have been much easier for them to die. It would have spared them so much suffering. But they put up with it to bear witness. To tell the stories of the millions that died at the hands of the Nazis. They reasoned that if they all died, no one would tell the story.

Today is Holy Communion Sunday. Two thousand years ago, Jesus also gave us a testimony to tell the world. He told the disciples, "this is my body and my blood, broken and shed for the remission of your sins. Do this in rememberance of me, for as long as you shall live." In essence, He told His disciples to do the same thing the prisoners were told. He told them, "Go tell...go tell the world what you have seen here." And thankfully, they did.

Words cannot express the gratitude I feel about the courage of those disciples and to the millions of brave souls that have risked, and many gave, their lives to follow Jesus' command. I think of Paul and Silas. Of John and Peter. Of Timothy and James and Andrew. They too put up with unspeakable horrors to let the world know. Many of them died cruel and painful deaths because they "went and told." I think of the British missionary John Williams of the London Missionary Society. Who braved the open seas and travelled thousands of miles to the South Pacific. Because of them, the Gospel reached our shores in Samoa. I think of our anscestors who did their part, and went into the jungles of Papua New Guinea and New Caledonia. Some died there. All to let the world know and to never forget.

We live in a country that is truly blessed. We enjoy the freedom to worship and witness without fear. I sit at a computer and type words on a keyboard. The most stress I put up with is carpal syndrome. I am truly awed and humbled when I reflect on those extraordinary human beings. And there are thousands still out there today, sowing in fields all over the world. Keeping the Great Command.

And while we honor and thank the messengers, let us never lose sight of the message. That on Calvary two thousand years ago, our Lord shed His blood for us. As we partake of that rememberance, let us never forget the ultimate sacrifice. The one done for you and me. Let me leave you with the words of a classic Samoan hymn...E Manatua

E manatua, le togiola
Le na maliu i Korokota
Talu oe ma ita sa nofo pologa
Lenei ua maua le sa'olotoga

O le pale tuitui i le Ao
A'ao na tu'ia i fao
Ae fa'alogo ia i le upu
Lenei ua taunu'u
E leai se mea ou te mafaia
Pe a aunoa ma oe
O lo'u lea fa'amoemoe
E fia fa'atasi pea ma oe

Le Fa'aola e ua ou sau nei
E leai lava o so'u lelei
Ae fia tia'i le masesei
Ia e alofa mai

E leai se na alu a'e
Na o le na afio mai
Le fa'aolataga mo ita
Lenei ua ou teuina
Lo'u loto lenei ua sagisaig
Le manai fou mai le lagi
Uso e o la'u lea auniga
Lou pale nei avea e se tasi

P.S. If any of you who are tech savvy know of a way I can put music on this blog, please post it or email please. It would be awesome to include a song of the day or something like that as we visit. Be blessed.