I am fascinated with Hitler’s Germany, the Third Reich. The history around this era is some of the ugliest history that I can in some way come close to obtaining a tangible understanding of full-blown evil. I teach a university class called “Exploring the Bible.” The connection between the two comes in the depth that I draw my students into grasping the development of Israel as a nation, as a social group, and as individual families. I want them to learn why this group of people is set aside from the onset of human civilization. Let me share a bit with you.
God calls Israel not because they are some great people group that stands out among the nations. This is what he calls them to be. He desires them to be holy, separate. This does not equate to self-righteousness but these behaviors are to be developed as they form a lasting relationship with God. One that is specifically designed to bring him honor. Not honor to Israel. It is this same righteousness that Jesus calls all humans to (1 Peter 1:16). And oddly enough, when we behave this way the world tends to see us as different, warped.
I was recently discussing 19th Century European history with my son, 15yoa, and my grandson, 13yoa. It was an enriching conversation. At one point my grandson says to me, “Hitler was not a good man, but he was very good at what he was taught to do.” I have processed these words over and over. Most of us would agree that the Holocaust was a disgusting display of humanity against itself. But really think about those words of my grandson and ask yourself how they are displayed in your personal life.
Culture defines us. Who you are begins with where you live, who influences you, what ethical or moral boundaries you are given. I will never excuse Hitler’s behavior or that of his military, but consider this: they were simply doing as culture had taught them. Imagine you are born into a family that hates or has biases. Let’s say that hatred is directed at anyone who lives in a white house. They are filthy houses, the dirt that congeals on them clearly represents the people who live in them. Even as you grow up and away from these belief systems there will always be this lingering distaste for white houses, and sadly probably even towards people who live in them.
I have not gone off my rocker. Hitler and his henchmen did just what the world around them had taught them for almost a century, to hate Jews. They did not resist it. It was a cultural/social norm. To counter this idea would be like wearing a bicentennial bonnet to high school each day in 2023. Sure, some people would stand up for you against those who poked fun, but move this situation into a larger people group, say a village, and those supporters fade into the background. Move this situation into a courtroom where someone has accused the bonnet wearer of being a thief, or liar, or worse yet a traitor. Who stands up for this person?
This is a weird blog for me, but I wanted to draw you to a point in which you might feel a little uncomfortable, maybe squirmy, or defensive because this is where you will either do your best thinking or succumb. Who are you? What does culture tell you is acceptable behavior and what is not? How much do you buy into those norms? Where do these beliefs align with your faith? Can you readily describe them by the character of God or do you make them fit to suit your needs? If you claim Christianity, you are called to stand out against the norm. What exactly does that mean? Do you need to be transformed in your thinking?
As I always say, “this is a journey.” We do life right and wrong every day of our lives. If we think in terms of Israel’s development, it begins first at a personal, familial level in which our own desires are sought to be served. From there it becomes a communal ideology in which we do what is accepted in order to be accepted. Then it flows into a national and on into a global system. We respond differently in each scenario. If you do not understand who you are at each level, you will be absorbed by the whole. The results of this can be disastrous. Jesus said to be transformed daily through a renewing of your mind (Romans 12:2), this defines a true journey in which we find strength to stand in truth.
-blessings in your travels
Monica Swank 