Remembering the Holocaust

Strong wind parted the cloud cover this morning, fallout from fierce storms and colossal rains coming in from the north and west bringing chaos and floods in many places. Eight hours in bed, three hours awake. I felt clear headed from relaxed deep breathing but after taking my meds I began to feel poorly, despite having eaten a banana with a cup of water. It occurred to me that I might not be drinking enough to fend off gradual dehydration during the night. 

I made the effort to drink another liter of water, and this showed me what I haven't been doing enough of recently. My head cleared, and my walk after breakfast was much more energetic than it has been of late. Given the concoction of meds I take, I now realise that I need to make the effort to drink a more to ensure the drugs are digested properly and assimilated into my bloodstream. A lesson learned. But can I change a habit that's not been doing me any good? It's not easy. My esophagus often seems slow to wake up and relax in the morning to work as God intends. I get coughing fits or muscular spasms if it's not ready for action on waking.

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day on the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz extermination camp. Altogether six million Jewish, Roma  and other minority sub-culture people were murdered in World War two because of who they were seen to be in nazi eyes.  The 'us first' master race ideology treated others as inferior, to be subjugated, enslaved, discarded as disposable assets, a threat to world dominance. Never forget, tell this story. We need to learn from history. Liars, lies and deception can easily fool us There are times when pride, patriotic sentiment and anxiety can divert us from noticing when loyalty to high ideals is being poisoned by ill-will. Be sober, be vigilant today declares. This evil mindset, in blatant or subtle guise must never be allowed to pervert humankind again anywhere.

Chief Rabbi Murvis spoke well on 'Thought for the Day' as I was waking up. As holocaust victims and witnesses speaking from personal experience come to the end of their lives, their educational work with rising generations is entrusted to others. Murvis points out that the Hebrew word for 'remember' is more than subjective recollection, it's a call to action, a call to responsibility for passing on the story. How often the Psalmist exhorts people to remember what God has done and remind others. It fits so well with the Lord's words of blessing bread and wine at the Last Supper - 'Do this in remembrance of me.'

Clare cooked prawns with rice and veg for lunch, and then went out to meditation group. I thought I would snooze in my armchair after the meal, but I found myself reflecting on the Chief Rabbi's words instead. I walked another circuit of Llandaff Fields, and got home before sunset. Already it's light an hour earlier. When the sky isn't overcast with low cloud, the difference is noticeable, an hour later than winter solstice.

After supper I recorded and edited next Wednesday's Morning Prayer. I'm celebrating the Eucharist at St Catherine's tomorrow morning, for the first time since my stroke, so it's early to be for me tonight after a somewhat better day.