When you say the word ‘hero’ people tend to think of Marvel comic books and superpowers; Batman, Spiderman, Wonder-woman to name but a few. Other people might think of sportsmen or women, or celebrities. This week we are celebrating the 70th anniversary of VE Day and the heroes who died to put an end to genocide and to protect our freedom.
On May 7th 1945 at 3pm the war was over and May 8th is the official 70th anniversary of Victory over Europe. There are no concrete statistics as to how many people died during World War 2 and statistics vary between 40 to 80 million people with 48 to 55 million civilians dying. 11 million people died in the holocaust with 6 million of those people dying because they were Jewish. There are so many stories of bravery from the frontline and from the camps as well as civilians who worked hard as land girls, in the home guard and in many other essential roles to keep everyone fed and safe at home. These people didn’t have superpowers or capes. They weren’t paid millions of pounds for television appearances and they didn’t get asked for their autograph as they walked down the street. There was a resilience and bravery; an inner strength that kept these heroes going in circumstances that many of us can’t even imagine today.
I am always deeply touched by the faith that kept people going through such horrendous times. The story of the Roman Catholic friar St. Max Kolbe, who was a prisoner in Auschwitz. When guards announced they were going to kill 10 prisoners as a punishment for others escaping St Max Kolbe offered to die in place of one of the prisoners, who had a family. He knew he would be starved to death yet he offered his life for another. Such self-less giving humbles me. This holy man, from humble beginnings made the greatest sacrifice without hesitation. No superpowers, no kudos just pure selflessness.
You have probably heard the story of the little Jew in the concentration camp, humiliated and taunted by his Nazi guard. One day he was asked to climb down into the human waste in the latrines and clean them out. This was not only humiliating but carried the risk of disease; what a shameful way to treat anyone. The Nazi guard standing above him shouted down, “Where is your God now?” And the Jewish man replied quietly, “He’s down here with me.” The man spoke out knowing he could have been shot but his faith meant so much to him that he spoke out. This man, who had been imprisoned despite his innocence tried to survive in a desperate environment. How many of us could follow his example in such a difficult situation? No superpowers but plenty of faith and courage.
There are so many examples of bravery an so many unsung heroes from both the second and first world wars but this weekend my family will be attending VE day events to give thanks for the bravery and sacrifice of so many people to ensure we have the free world we enjoy today.
ohanameans 