Remembering scars of the past: Holocaust Memorial DayNick Beasley - 27 Jan 2016

"THOSE WHO CANNOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DOOMED TO REPEAT IT." 

GEORGE SANTAYANA

The 27th of January marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day; 78 years to the day since the Red Army liberated 7,000 prisoners from the Auschwitz-Birkenau extermination camp complex. 

Marking the day serves to remind us of the millions more who lost their lives, and the legacy of the horror that lives on. 

But past wars can seem so distant that we struggle to feel much as we remember them; we struggle to relate, as a relatable reality seems to grow increasingly faint with time. And as we remember, how do we pray for victims who have already suffered?

But its scars are still worn by millions to this day; those affected directly by the conflict and those who have suffered under the burden of its legacy, and it’s these who still need our prayers.

And we pray for our own sake too.

In remembering the past we are learning for the future. We honour the lives of those who were lost and we grow as a people; we repent of the mistakes we have made and we have allowed to be made, and we strive to ensure they are never made again.

Through remembering the past, we are actively bringing God’s kingdom to the present and the future. 

All images are used by permission in accordance with commons copyright license terms:
Feature image is a derivative of the image 'Birkenau', by Ana Paula Hirama, 'Prisoners in the concentration camp' by Marion Dossand 'Birkenau "Death Gate"'  by V Manninen

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