With the exception of Anne Frank’s Diary, “Night,” written by Elie Wiesel, is probably the work most responsible for bringing the Holocaust to the attention of the world. It has sold more than t0 million copies.
Wiesel was a Holocaust survivor. He was a Romanian-born American Jewish writer, professor, political activist and Nobel Laureate who passed away July 2 at the age of 87.
Elie Wiesel was a moral voice, a messenger of peace, atonement and human dignity. With the force of his personality he spoke out against forgetfulness and violence. President Obama praised Wiesel by saying, “He raised his voice, not just against anti-Semitism, but against hatred, bigotry and intolerance in all its forms. He implored each of us, as nations and as human beings, to do the same, to see ourselves in each other and to make real that pledge of ‘never again.'”
You would think that in the world of 2016, we would not be dealing with hatred, bigotry and intolerance. You would think that by now people in the world would be more civilized and more civil, more understanding and more loving. Unfortunately these issues are at the top of world news day in and day out. You turn on your TV or radio each day only to learn of new violence and man’s inhumanity to man.
The world needs the Gospel of Jesus Christ more than ever. As John the Baptist was a voice crying in the wilderness, Jesus is the Living Word calling us to repentance, to love and forgiveness. Only the Gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to transform our lives, to save us from our sins, to set us on a path of peace and good will.
The big question is, “When will we listen to the voice of men like Elie Wiesel? When will we listen to the voice of Jesus and understand and repent? Or is the only message of hope and peace offered to us considered to be just a voice crying in the wilderness with no one hearing, no one listening, no one caring. God help us!
In His Love,
Charles
