Doomed to Repeat

Today we went to visit the Holocaust museum and I was struck by the vastness of it and how broad its scope was. Lives all over the world were touched by it and were forever changed by a kind of devastation the world had never seen before. As someone who has always been fascinated by history, it is such a wake up call to me when I go to a museum like that and read about the millions of people who were senselessly killed based solely on their heritage. At times I am still overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of the Holocaust and how far-reaching it really was. Things like that make it so clear how blessed I am to live where I live and to have been born into a generation that can look back and hopefully learn from these things and make a world that is free from the horrors of that time.
I think that the thing that saddens me the most is that people all over the world are still being senselessly killed without any thought of their humanity or value. It is so easy for me to sit here in a nice, warm apartment and rant about how I think the world should be, but at the same time, I know that a lot of what is happening around the world right now is not of God and serves as a reminder at how far away the world is from Him. God's love is enduring and will never fade, and I can only imagine how much His heart breaks for all of the innocent lives that are being lost in Darfur and in the DRC and anywhere else in the world where people are being killed and oppressed. It is hard for me to try to truly empathize with those who are subjected to these situations, because I have never been in a situation that comes remotely close to that. But I do have Christ in my life, and as one of His followers, my heart goes out to all of His children who are hurting. I want them to know His love and see His light that shines on, even in times of great darkness. When I have children of my own, I want them to always know that we are called to love all people, regardless of the circumstance. Granted, I don't always live up to that calling, but I do know that it is not something that comes with conditions or requirements. We do not deserve to be loved by the Father, and yet we are. Because of the grace that He has bestowed upon us, we must love others. Faults and flaws are not things that we are in the position to judge. I am a sinner and therefore I am just as flawed as everyone else on this earth. That commonality among all people levels the playing field so to speak, and requires that we show the love of God to ALL people, not just the ones we want to.

Life is so fragile and so precious, a constant reminder of God's greatness in its complexity, and it should be cherished.

Please remember that as you walk through your days...the Lord loves you more than you will ever know!!! (a reminder for you as well as myself...)