The wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness. James 3: 17-18
Today, as we gather to honour the memories of those who endured one of history’s darkest chapters, the Holocaust, when Jewish people were exterminated, we must confront a chilling truth: this tragedy was once a normalized part of daily life.
As human freedom and dignity were systematically dismantled, much of the world stood by in silence.
Perhaps the most painful reality is that this was not just a failure of states, but a failure of neighbours. People who lived side-by-side chose to surrender their conscience to the forces of evil.
We reflect on a world that watched, and on neighbours who turned against neighbours, proving how quickly the bonds of community can shatter when we succumb to hate. In that silence, millions were dehumanized, tortured, and lost.
And yet our hope lies in the selfless acts kindness of those neighbours who risked their lives to protect, give refuge and find passages of escape to those who were fleeing from the tyranny of nazis.
History is not a distant shadow; it is a mirror. This history serves as a stark warning for our own generation. We are never as far from these realities as we would like to believe.
The same forces that seek to devalue human life are present in our world today, requiring us to be ever vigilant.
The most fitting way to honour the departed in Holocaust is to commit ourselves to a life of active peace, one that fiercely protects the dignity and freedom of every individual, one that honours the holiness of human life.
Let us resolve to be architects of hope, ensuring that we never slip back into the despair of the past, but instead move forward with mercy and a commitment to the common good.
Image from left to right: Nigel Wildish (Churches together in Finchley), Bishop Anderson Jeremiah, Sarah Sackman KC – MP and Minister of courts and legal services, Callum Isaacs (Generation 2 Generation), Rabbi Danny Rich – Mayor of Barnet, Rabbi Rebecca Birk – Finchley Progressive Synagogue, Zoe Jacobs – Finchley Reform Synagogue, Georgina Bye – Co Director of Council of Christians and Jews, Revd Philip Davidson – Vicar of St Mary’s Finchley