Remember the suffering

A short drive away from the city of Krakow lies the village of Oswiecim site of the former army barracks which were transformed in the early part of the 1940s into the infamous prison camps.

Unbeknownst to the Polish people (who by the way had at this point been assumed into the territory of Germany, this army barrack was transformed also into a death camp known to the world as Auschwicz.

This was a very difficult day for some, and a sobering experience for all. We have all heard the stories of the attrocities which took place here, but seeing the space, there is an eerie silence even today. Walking through the various buildings and understanding what happened in this place leaves visitors with an emptiness, and with tears of compassion for all the suffering which took place.

In a true sense, this is one of those experiences that cannot be described in words, for it is almost unfathomable how such inhuman actions against humanity could even have been conceived of much less acted upon.

As if one such death factory were not bad enough, we also visited the neighbouring camp known as Birkenau where so many were unloaded like cattle from the incoming cars, forced to live in sub-human conditions and to work inhuman hours, or to be put to death.

With all the suffering that has been endured by the Polish people, and by the countless others who found themselves subjected to this place, is it any wonder that their faith was the only thing they could cling to with any certainty? Is it any wonder why so many of them still remain committed to this faith? To some it might sound strange, but history has proven that faith has persisted, and been strengthened most in places where it has been tried most.