Holocaust Memorial Day – 27 January

Each year on 27 January the world marks Holocaust Memorial Day (HMD). HMD has been held in the UK since 2001 and the United Nations declared this an International event in November 2005. 27 January was chosen as the date for HMD because it was on this date in 1945 that the largest Nazi Concentration Camp Auschwitz-Birkenau was liberated.

The day of remembering isn’t only about WWII, it’s also about remembering the victims and those subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and the ongoing atrocities today in Darfur.

It says on the Holocaust Memorial Day Website

“Genocide doesn’t happen overnight, it’s a gradual process which begins when the differences between us are not celebrated but used as a reason to exclude or marginalise. By learning from the lessons of the past, we can create a safer, better future.”

HMD has taken place in the UK since 2001. It was established at a meeting on 27 January 2000, when representatives from forty-four governments around the world met in Stockholm to discuss Holocaust education, remembrance and research. At the conclusion of the forum, the delegates unanimously signed a declaration which is the basis for national events, education and publicity.

Prayers for Holocaust Memorial Day

Let us pray for God’s ancient people, the Jews, the first to hear his word - for greater understanding between Christian and Jew for the removal of our blindness and bitterness of heart that God will grant us grace to be faithful to his covenant and to grow in the love of his name.

(From the Intercessions for Good Friday: Lent, Holy Week and Easter Services and Prayers, as commended by the House of Bishops of the General Synod of the Church of England)

Lord, remember not only the men and women of goodwill, but also those of ill will. Do not remember all the sufferings they have inflicted upon us; remember the fruits we bear, thanks to this suffering - our comradeship, our loyalty, our humanity, courage, generosity, the greatness of heart which has grown out of all this. And when they come to judgement, let all the fruits that we have borne be their forgiveness.

(A prayer found on a scrap of paper beside the body of a girl who died at Ravensbruck)

Prayers said on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the death of Anne Frank:

God, you created us all in your own likeness. We thank you for the wonderful diversity of races and cultures in your world. Enrich our lives by ever-widening circles of fellow feeling and understanding; show us your presence in those most different from us, so that in all our relationships, both by what we have in common and by things in which we differ, we may come to know you more fully in your creation; for you are Father, Son and Holy Spirit for ever. Amen

Judge eternal, bringer of justice, hear the cry of those who suffer under the lash of heartless political oppression; those who languish in prisons and labour camps, untried or falsely condemned; those whose bodies are shattered, or whose minds are unhinged by torture or deprivation. Meet them in their anguish and despair, and kindle in them the light of hope, that they may find rest in your love, healing I your compassion and faith in your mercy. In the name of him who suffered, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

The people walking in darkness have seen a great light

“There will be no more gloom for those who were in darkness. The people walking in darkness have seen a great light”.

Over the Christmas period I spent some time (when I was all but snowed in) thinking about why so many people came to our churches this Christmas?

Across the Benefice, there were hundreds of people that we know, who would otherwise not be regular worshippers, there were just as many people that we hadn’t seen before who crossed the threshold in the ten churches.

So, the question is…why?

1. Did we do something right last year that meant that people thought it a good idea to celebrate the birth of Jesus with us?

2. Did the national church do something right, so that people questioned that faith they might hold? Deciding that it needed dusting off?

3. Or, are there other circumstances that meant that people braved the ice, snow and sub-zero temperatures to join us in worship?

I need to know what happened? It isn’t a vague or fuzzy question, it’s absolutely critical to us as a church.

In my prayers, and hopes, I would like to think that perhaps they might have seen that it’s more than just mere religion and that faith is something shiny and bright, which can light up the darkest things.

Of course, we were all fabulously welcoming and friendly, our conversation was both well informed and informal. Our music was just like the heavenly host that the shepherds saw and the preaching made people think about God in their lives and the Christ child, born in Bethlehem.

I was still mulling over the real reason when I turned to the collect for today and started to prepare to write my sermon…

“Renew your people with your heavenly grace, and in all our weakness, sustain us by your mighty power”.

I started to smile because we pray that GOD might renew his people and then we are surprised when things go right.

It’s not just me though! It’s been happening for thousands of years…

In our OLD TESTAMENT READING we have that reading from the first part of the BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH. Written in the 8^th Century BC – the Prophet is reminding the people that those who WALK IN DARKNESS will see a great light.

Last week and the week before the OLD TESTAMENT readings we had were two of the four parts of the Book of Prophet Isaiah that we call the “Songs of the Suffering Servant” – which for Christians are the texts that tell us that even hundreds of years before the first Christmas people were waiting.

God is preparing his people for the time to come.

People say to me “Mark”, “Mark”, they say “why bother reading the OLD TESTAMENT?” It’s a good question, but it’s critical that we do – and it might have answer for us this morning!

There are TWO things we need to know realise about the OT;

Firstly it is realistic, we encounter a world of evil, violence and revenge. It echoes the world as it is today, with terrorists blowing up buildings, children shooting other children in schools and people being imprisoned and executed for their beliefs. It is startlingly realistic. There are passionate stories of love and hate, blood chilling stories of murder, matter of fact accounts of slavery and honest tales of the high honour and cruel treachery of war. There is also the wonderful irony of God. Spoiled brats like Solomon and Samson get supernatural gifts, and a good egg like Job gets a disaster.

Secondly, the whole of the Old Testament is a gradual but certain movement towards grace. The Hebrews lived in wild barbaric times. Their laws may seem harsh to us, they established basic rules for warfare, and also made rules to protect the poor and the needy. God, in his own time was working with them, establishing a seed of his grace to grow amongst them.

I think the answer to my original question might be in here somewhere…Why did so many people come to church at Christmas?

I’m not suggesting that people come to church because they have read the OLD TESTAMENT – I BELIEVE THAT;

1. MANY, MANY PEOPLE ARE SHUFFLING TOWARDS GOD.

2. MANY PEOPLE ARE WANTING TO WALK IN THE LIGHT, and

3. MANY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING THAT MAKES THEM FEEL VALUED, GOOD, UNIQUE and LOVED

I had a good feeling about what happened at Christmas in our churches. I’d like to think that in the ice and snow, people were

looking for something important. A lot of people worked very hard to beautify our churches, produce our music, write our sermons, cook our food, rehearse with the children, clear the paths, make our Christingles and a hundred other things – but if it meant that EVEN JUST ONE PERSON who was walking in darkness was HELPED TO SEE THE LIGHT, then it will have been all worth it.

We are blessed indeed! May we be a blessing to others.