Holocaust Memorial Day 2020
January 27 ^th is international Holocaust Memorial Day, a day set aside to remember the six million Jews murdered during the Holocaust, the millions of others killed under Nazi persecution and those massacred in subsequent genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur. This year we remember the 75 ^th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau and 25 ^th anniversary of the atrocities of Srebrenica in Bosnia.
 
The theme for this year is ‘Stand Together’. For us as Christian it reflects our belief in the Incarnation, in a God who in Christ stands with us in our humanity.  Made as we are in the image and likeness of God we are called to stand together with our neighbour, to seek the best for those we may otherwise disagree with on matters of doctrine and belief.  At a time of rising hate speech on social media, and of far-right extremism, we are called to model respectful speech, challenging racism or language that vilifies our brothers and sisters of other faiths and those seeking refuge or asylum in our country.
 
Many people stood with the Jewish Community during the Holocaust including St Maximilian Kolbe,  Blessed Hans Jaggerstatter and Pope John XXIII. Jain Haining was the only Scot to die in Auschwitz. She was matron of the Girls’ Home at the Church of Scotland Mission in Budapest and helped many Jews to flee before being arrested, deported to Auschwitz and being murdered there in April 1944. Many more of course failed to stand together with their Jewish neighbours  which is forever a blight on Christian Europe. 
 
I hope you will remember the Holocaust and subsequent genocides. As the Holocaust Memorial Trust states, “The Holocaust threatened the fabric of civilisation, and genocide must still be resisted every day. Our world often feels fragile and vulnerable and we cannot be complacent. Even in the UK, prejudice and the language of hatred must be challenged by us all.”
 
PRAYER
Today we remember in prayer:
 

• The millions of Jews who were murdered during the Holocaust

 

• All who were torn from home and subjected to abuse and degradation

 

• Those in parts of the world where ethnic cleansing is still a reality

 

• Those people seeking asylum and a safe haven in flight from violence and war

 
God of the past, present, and future, today, 75 years since the liberation of Auschwitz and 25 years since Srebrenica, we pray for those who, having survived genocide, share their stories with us:  we remember those who stood up against injustice and saved lives.  We pray that You will inspire us now to stand against all that is evil in defence of the ostracized and marginalized, to speak up for them  and to welcome  them with love and respect.         Lord hear us…………………

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