The blood cries from the ground
Father Patrick Desbois was one of the speakers during the annual Holocaust commemoration of Christians for Israel in The Netherlands on January 26.
It is unknown to many that millions of Jews were killed by bullets in Ukraine and other countries in Eastern Europe. Father Patrick Desbois conducts research into this very subject. How was it possible that so many Jews were murdered at mass graves? The stories are harrowing. In the villages where Jews were murdered in this gruesome manner, the population stood by and watched. Germans shot Jews in shifts and were then alternated to eat at a neatly laid table next to the mass grave. Father Desbois discovered these and other terrible stories in his research into the Holocaust. The conversations with eyewitnesses are tough. It is difficult to get in touch with older people who have experienced the period themselves. They often tell the story to him once and then never again.
Father Desbois also shared the why behind his research. Why is he investigating these happenings? He referred to Genesis 4. In this chapter we read the story of Abel and Cain. One brother kills the other. God then asks the question: Where is your brother? God doesn’t ask why, He asks: where is your brother? Cain answers with the well-known words: Am I my brother’s keeper? Many people in modern Europe react in a similar way to the Holocaust. They deal with it in a resigned manner, and they do not seem to mind. The chapter in Genesis states that the blood cries out from the earth to God. Father Debois indicated that this story resonates deeply with him. The blood of millions of Jews indicts us and cries out to God from the ground. How can we ever build a modern Europe if we do not dare to face this terrible slaughter. If we can’t take care of the bodies of these millions of Jews?
One of the other speakers was Deborah Maarssen, a Holocaust survivor. She shared how she miraculously survived the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Deborah lives in the Netherlands with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren: her Triumph over Hitler.
The commemoration was held in Nijkerk in the Netherlands near the headquarters of Christians for Israel. It was attended by about 500 people and funds were raised to support Holocaust Survivors. It was an impressive meeting.
The commemoration took place in Nijkerk, Netherlands, close to the Christians for Israel headquarters. Approximately 500 people attended, and donations were collected to aid Holocaust Survivors. It was a very impressive gathering.
