During World War II the world was in a state of unbelief and denial concerning the plight of Europe’s Jews. The stories that were told spoke of such inhumane treatment and torture that it seemed impossible for humans to treat other humans that way.
What couldn’t be believed then is now irrefutable: people of Jewish heritage were gathered up by the German military and transported by the millions in cattle cars destined for the Final Solution. Concentration camps, killing centers, and shooting operations were responsible for the murder of 6,000,000 people.
As the trains passed through villages and towns, the passengers’ desperate cries could be heard by everyone. Some villagers were empathetic and outraged by the passengers’ plight, and they devised rescue plans. The majority of these efforts failed, however, with severe consequences for the compassionate helpers: jail and, at times, a death sentence equal to those who were being rescued.
Instead of coming to the aid of the passengers, other villagers were trapped in denial, refusing to believe what was happening. Still others were immobilized by petrifying fear. If caught helping the prisoners, the consequences of their actions for themselves and their families would be brutal and utterly merciless.
The cries coming from the freight cars made entire communities uncomfortable. In an effort to diminish the anguish of hearing these screams during church services, the choirs and congregants would be encouraged to sing louder so that the cries of the doomed would be drowned out.
Europe’s concentration camps are closed, and the echoes of those screams have faded. The trains, however, are still running.
If you’re quiet, you can hear the rhythmic sounds of the wheels.
You can even feel the rumbling of the cars as they pass; the enemy does keep to a tight schedule, after all.
Innocent people—the preborn—are still being carried to their deaths, and we cannot allow fear or apathy to move us to sing louder, ignoring their cries for help.
Even if you stop singing altogether, however, other voices grow louder by the day. The media, the pro-abortion lobby, celebrities, political candidates, legislators, and judges are all singing at the top of their voices—but the tune is discordant and the lyrics are misleading.
Followers of Christ have a different song to sing: a melody of life. This song will not drown out the cries of those being led to their deaths but will harmonize with them, amplifying the sound until it can no longer be ignored. The choir of which we are all members has the power to flood communities and nations with a song whose melody and lyrics will transform the world. What part will you sing louder today?
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