While at Auschwitz the other day we walked through a building that was lined with pictures along the walls. Instead of just seeing the frames and dates I decided to look deeper.
I started gazing into their eyes. Really looking into their souls.
Seeing past the moment captured into what was hidden behind their expressionless face.
As I started to do this I couldn’t help but recognize the emotions there. Hopelessness, denial, fear, hardened hearts, and many more.
It just broke my heart.
I’m not surprised to see these emotions in their eyes. But it hit me that these are the same emotions we can see in the eyes of many of those around us. I’m not trying to undermine what happened in the Holocaust or in the concentration camps at all. But I am aware that these emotions I saw are still running rampant in the world today.
Hopelessness.
Fear.
Denial.
Hardened.
What those people were put through even up until death was in humane and pure evil.
It is good to go back and take in these horrific tragedies of the past to not let them repeat. But it is also a place where we can change our look at the world and those around us.
As we walk around during our normal routine take time to stop and notice the emotions inside people’s eyes. Let The Lord change your eyes to see people as he does.
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”
– James 1:2-4
