“And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.” Matthew 14:14
The choir sang solemnly in front of the audience, and for the people of past generations from distinguished cultures. Later, the JROTC crew came to deliver three unique flags: the German flag, the Flag of Israel, and the United States flag. More importantly, something stood out at that moment. It was silent to the ears, but it shouted a powerful message to the conscious: unity. The March of Remembrance struck our hearts to remind us that unity enables people to forgive and love former enemies so we can learn to love comrades in arms. Both Jewish and Nazi descendants encountered this phenomenon as they gathered to share stories about harsh times but emphasized how their ancestors prevailed throughout it. Compassion is humanity’s true potential waiting to be unleashed to neighbors and kin around the community, and it starts with the warmth of the March of Remembrance.
The Holocaust, a desolate era of anguish, terror, and destruction that shook the world’s feet; lives were lost that would never come back. However, some might say that this event demonstrated strength, bravery and brotherhood. Fast-forwarding, Walt Winicki, principal of Creekwood Middle School opened the remembrance stating, “our choices have the potential to change the future generation”. Wise decisions do shape our reality, but faulty actions could make us pay and regret, that is why unity calms the restless because there are ears to hear and words to soothe. The first speaker of the March of Remembrance brought out the true story behind the world today, he said, “antisemitism is a disease” like none other. Indeed, it is spreading like wildfire, destroying communities and the moral standards that define humanity as social beings. But what is the cure for this? In recent years, the speaker also mentioned that another “scapegoat was made” about the pandemic. People thought “it was the Jews that made the Coronavirus”. False. A lesson to be learned is that we humans love to jump to conclusions and point fingers, but that is the downfall of humanity because we dislike taking responsibility. This downfall is the disease said by the speaker, but we can eliminate it by compassion toward others. Edith Chucker is a Holocaust survivor who spoke about the horrid conditions during the Nazi invasion for the first time. She “[wasn’t] even ten years old” when she fled from her home in Poland as they were “heading to Russia”. Edith remembers wearing newspaper clothing while negative 70 degrees Celsius plundered warmth from their toiled bodies that endured lashes of snow. However, Edith mostly cherished her memory of her generous mother making her “makeshift dolls to play with” and making sure she had “plentiful food to eat”. She would never let go of them as they were her grasping comfort and symbol of family. The 46-year-old mother wanted Edith to still have a normal life as a child; she accomplished her mission. Edith reflects her past and states, “My mother was a hero” knowing that she sacrificed herself to keep Edith healthy and content. Generosity is a crucially important aspect of life. The mother and daughter overcame despair and made it their story to illustrate what hate does to the inflicted people, yet compassion prevailed in survival. In another outcome, Clara, a Nazi descendant, apologized for what her grandfather did in the past: making electric fences for concentration camps. Even though it was not her fault, Clara took the responsibility to reflect and apologize from her family’s mistake. The Jewish community forgave her. It was as if a weight was lifted in their souls and were even united more with compassion. The last speaker of the March of Remembrance was a story to remember, she was a German Nazi, but unlike the others, her parents wiped-out hatred and had compassion for the Jews. The parents hid nine Jewish people in their home concealing every bit of suspicion. How? They let their enemies walk amidst the rescued; the speaker’s parents welcomed Nazis since they were part of the Nazi organization. Even so, these parents had compassion toward their enemies “drinking a cup of coffee” and providing “food for them”. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus taught to, “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” which these German parents did. They knew the “punishment of hiding was death to all the family”, yet they chose to give grace just as God gave us grace. No one would understand why we must love our enemies, but if we look at the big picture, it will unlock humanity’s hidden talent to be compassionate beings that ponder on emotions of others. Being there for others makes a difference to the community; the March of Remembrance initiates this value. I thank every survivor and descendant for their bravery to recall the grim memories. We must not forget the past, for the past lets us review mistakes and come up with a solution together that builds up warmth to communities around the world.
Think about it, compassion toward different cultures could erase the thought of World War III, bringing us one step closer to world peace. Pessimism would say there is no way for peace, but Optimism says it is possible with the help of God, wisdom, and history. As we are compassionate to others, people are more susceptible to spreading kindness along. Spread the vaccine of Generosity to eliminate antisemitism and other sources of hate! In my part, I will make the most out of it by being generous to my professors, my siblings in Christ, and the lost souls that seek a purpose. It will start with a smile because others will spread that smile too. I have a dream to start a non-profit for minorities to embrace love in the world amidst a hate crisis that destroys our joy. This organization would provide essential clothing, child programs to create communion and unlock talent, and a haven for dreamers that seek to become the next leading innovators because this is the Lord’s Mission. As the saying goes, “kill them with kindness” would rip through the walls of hate. I believe my compassion and others would overpower antisemitism and racism, making kindness rule in the minds of people. In other words, everyone’s lives matter in each community.
