Oskar Gröning, 93, was indicted for 300,000 counts of accessory to murder for his role as a member of Hitler’s SS unit at the Auschwitz concentration camp.
When prisoners were brought to the camp, their belongings were confiscated and Gröning would collect their currency and send it elsewhere to help finance the war effort.
Gröning lives in Berlin and has spoken openly about his experiences. Yet, new legislation has allowed his indictment. He claims his innocence and that he was just a witness to the atrocities.
In the mind of Gröning, he was doing his job. While the cashier at the abortion clinic may not be executing babies, they are nonetheless working to keep the operation running.
When blood is spilled, it will always spread.
“Martin Niemöller (1892-1984) was an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. He is perhaps best remembered for the following quotation.
“First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out-Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out- Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me-and there was no one left to speak for me.”/1
When Stephen was murdered by an angry Jewish mob, Saul stood by and held the coats of the killers. Yet, Saul later considered himself just as guilty as the ones with the rocks in their hands (Acts 22:4-6).
Life comes with consequences. Moses warned Israel that their sins would be uncovered (Numbers 32:23) because God was always watching (Psalm 139:7-12). We cannot outrun our sin and hope that God will not find us (Jonah; Revelation 6:15-16).
Be humble before God (James 4:10) because his mercy is our only salvation (1 Peter 3:15). Sin is a transgression of the law and God can’t allow that to go unpunished (1 John 3:4).
The gate of Auschwitz may have said, “Work makes [you] free,” but in the spiritual world, only the blood of Christ can save us from the wrath of God (1 John 1:7).
Gröning may once again elude the authorities but God will never forget our sins. Repentance is our only hope (Luke 13:3-5) if we wish to avoid the punishment of hell (Revelation 20:11-15).
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1/ http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007392