Diamonds
shine brightest on the darkest tapestries. As much as we hate it, the same is
true with human lives.
I
was recently reading from a biography on radio newscaster and personality, Paul
Harvey. Years ago, Harvey’s son, Paul Junior, spent an extensive amount of time
researching the story of a boy named Joachim. He was a Jew trapped in the World
War II concentration camp of Bergen-Belson.
As
he neared his 13th birthday, Joachim appealed to a rabbi, also a prisoner in
the same camp, to help him “celebrate” his bar mitzvah. The rabbi agreed and
during the middle of the night, away from anyone who could hurt them, the rabbi
gave Joachim his bar mitzvah.
Afterward,
the rabbi also gave Joachim a scroll of the Torah. He told the boy, “I am not
going to survive this; I'll die here, and you're going to go on. Take this
Torah scroll, and I want you to remind people who see it of what happened
here.”
Shortly
thereafter, the Allied army liberated Joachim from the concentration camp. He
went on to become an exceptional physicist and had the privilege of working on
one of the space shuttle projects. He became acquainted with one of astronauts,
and he related to him his story at Bergen–Belsen. He also gave the astronaut the
Torah scroll.
The
astronaut was so honored, he decided to take the scroll with him on his mission
on the space shuttle Columbia. Tragically, the astronaut, Israeli Air Force
Col. Elan Ramon, was killed along with the six other astronauts on Saturday
morning, February 1, 2003, over the forests of east Texas as they were
descending to land.
Space
shuttles missions had become so routine, even American citizens typically paid them
scant attention. Yet, because of this tragedy, the whole world was watching. Consequently,
the Columbia tragedy drew the attention of the world to the Torah scroll, and
to the story of Bergen—Belsen.
Adversity
in human lives provides the tapestry that allow the “diamonds” to shine
brightest.
Paul
is the ultimate example of someone who got this. Consider his encouragement to
the Corinthians, 9 But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is
made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my
weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. 10 For the sake of
Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions,
and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong (II
Cor. 12:9-10.)