Want to be challenged?

Today I was visiting some of my favorite blogs and Home Shalom was one of them. Pamela is a great sister in the family of Yahweh and she is always sharing very informative and thought provoking post. I was checking out her reviews topic and came across this post, Paperclips I have come to value her recommendations so I went ahead and rented the documentary through amazon.

The movie was a very challenging one for me personally. Of coarse I didn't realize how this wonderful film would challenge me until it was nearly over. Basically it's about an 8th grade class of student in a rural area of TN (my home state) learning about the Holocaust, intolerance, and prejudice. I did not believe I was an intolerant nor prejudice person, I mean come on I'm married to an African American man and Israel is my family, that's why it was so important for my family to experience this documentary, because it was what happened to our people. I can't recall the man's name but he was the male teacher of the two teacher team. He said several times he had to face that fact that he was prejudice. He didn't think he was prejudice but the more he study and as time progress it had become clear to him that in fact he was.

Wow, to think your alright and then to find out your so off target, the Word is right when it says Jer 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?...we can be deceived by our hearts for in Proverbs 28:26 says that we are foolish if we trust our own heart. And so this evening I found how true these two scripture were, for in one moment, in one line of that documentary I found that my heart had deceived me, I found wickedness in my heart, I found pride and prejudice.

It was towards the end of the movie and they were dedicating the rail car that would hold over 11 million paperclips. The Principle of the school was delivering the dedication speech.."and 6 million paperclips are for the 6 million Jewish people that were murdered, and the other 5 million were for the homosexuals, Gypsies...", Homosexuals! What? I was furious as I turned to my husband and said, "since when did homosexuality have anything to do with the Holocaust? "

...and then I heard the scriptures say, 1Jn 2:2 And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

and

Eze 33:11 Say unto them, As I live, saith the Yahweh Elohim, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?

So, why was it so offensive to me that they would include homosexuals in the Holocaust? Because I too had prejudice in my heart as well. Were they any less then the Jewish people? Are we not all sinners? What! did Messiah die for all, except them? These are questions that I need to ask myself. Messiah did die for ALL even Hitler, but not all will be saved and this he takes not pleasure in for it is his will that all should be saved!

How painful it was for me to face that I thought I was better than them. It's not only a prejudice problem but a pride problem, oh Yahweh cleanse this heart of mine...for you died for the homosexual too. It was not the lifestyle of any of the Holocaust victims that was being remembered but the fact that every life has value and has a right to live even if that life chooses to live a life against Messiah. For he loved those that loved him not, and I can be found at the beginning of the line.

I have been on a quest that I might see my heart, oh search my heart Yahweh...purge me and cleanse me and I will be clean. Teach me to love the unlovable and to show mercy and kindness to those who don't deserve it because you have shown mercy and kindness to me one who doesn't deserve it...Yahweh...forgive me for not distinguishing the sin from the sinner. Forgive me for not allowing you to live in me, through me, and reach out and love the unlovable.

I choose not to be enraged when I see or hear wicked acts, but I choose to look beyond the act and see the chains and show mercy, and pray. Pray for them rather than be repulsed by them, I mean who am I that I should have such an attitude? Oh how I have deceived myself...May Yahweh have mercy on this soul!

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Ok, I watched this again this pm and it wasn't during the dedication that the statement about the homosexuals was stated, it was before the dedication while they were dividing up the paperclips and housing them in the rail car.