As UK Christians remember the Holocaust this week (27 January marking the day in 1945 when Auschwitz was liberated), they have been reminded that it was spawned by godlessness and the rejection of faith.

Amalek Cruelty

Steven Jaffe,¹ a member of the UK's Jewish Board of Deputies, was addressing a largely Christian audience at a church in Sheffield, Yorkshire. He said the exodus from Egypt was immediately followed by the battle with Amalek, who had no reason to attack Israel. There was no territorial dispute or history of conflict, for example. And they attacked the sick and the elderly – those who were most vulnerable (Deut 25:17-18).

"The conflict with Amalek is not over", he said. Amalek denied God and his power in the same way the Nazis did, and the latter mirrored their lack of mercy. Jaffe recalled that Britain's former Chief Rabbi, Lord Sachs, was once asked where God was during the Holocaust, to which he is said to have replied: "Where was man?"

Growing Godlessness

My worry is that the growing influence of rank atheism in Britain and Europe will have a bearing on the future of anti-Semitism. The poisonous view that God does not exist naturally leads to godless behaviour and thought, even among those previously tutored in godly ways. The result is that even some who claim to have faith, and who perhaps stand in pulpits, start believing the lie that is proclaimed so often through almost every strand of media.

My worry is that the growing influence of rank atheism in Britain and Europe will have a bearing on the future of anti-Semitism.

It is indeed frustrating that, as fast as we spread word about the horrors of the Holocaust, vowing that it should never be repeated, the vile infestation of anti-Semitism creeps into every crack and crevice of our broken society, as the walls of our Judeo-Christian civilisation come crashing down around us.

Loathing of Israel

In polite Britain, hatred of Jews is generally not expressed openly, but often takes the form of a loathing of Israel, so that the very mention of the Jewish state is enough to raise the hackles not only of the politically-aware man in the street, but of the semi-biblically aware man in the pew.

As Jaffe told the Bush Fire Church, such loathing cannot be explained in rational terms. But he was spot on, I believe, in linking the phenomenon with a society that has thrown God out of the window. Pledges of never letting it happen again are not enough, in my opinion; without a recovery of faith in the God of Israel, there can be no guarantee that another holocaust won't take place.

In recent months, Iran has been boasting of how its nuclear deal last year "has provided an historic opportunity to...face threats posed by the Zionist entity"². It is well to recall that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem, Haj Amin al-Husseini, collaborated with Hitler, setting the stage for today's jihad against Israel.³ And yet, bizarrely, former Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and current Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas have both publicly denied that the Holocaust ever took place.⁴

In polite Britain, hatred of Jews is generally not expressed openly, but often takes the form of a loathing of Israel.

Holocaust memorial, Berlin. See Photo Credits.

Light in the Darkness

Against such a dark background, however, there is plenty of encouragement. The Sheffield gathering heard much about the heroic acts of so-called 'righteous Gentiles' like Sir Nicholas Winton, who rescued 669 Jewish children from Czechoslovakia in 1938. Generations of people – almost 7,000 of some of the world's greatest doctors, lawyers, teachers and inventors – owe their lives to the act of one man's efforts to help Jewish children escape the Nazis.

Last year in Leeds the Shalom Declaration was launched, with hundreds signing a commitment to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, fight anti-Semitism and promote solidarity with Israel. Steven Jaffe himself said that this is sending out a clear message of Christian support for Britain's Jewish community. "There isn't a corner of the British Isles that the Shalom Declaration has not been signed", he said.

On the faith front, we were told that "there are more Jews learning the Torah today in Israel that at any time in our history", preparing them well for the great event we are perhaps soon to witness when Jesus reveals himself on a grand scale to his brothers in the flesh.

Forgiveness Vital

Though many Jews quite understandably have a problem with this, especially with the Holocaust in mind, we are reminded that the key is forgiveness. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he had already long since forgiven them for acting treacherously against him.

Pledges of never letting it happen again are not enough: without a recovery of faith in the God of Israel, there can be no guarantee that another holocaust won't take place.

British television viewers were recently treated to a remarkable Channel 4 documentary, The Girl Who Forgave the Nazis,⁵ recounting the story of how Hungarian Jew Eva Kor, now 81, a former inmate of Auschwitz, has publicly forgiven 94-year-old Oskar Groenig, the death camp's former accountant, who was recently sentenced to four years in jail for his part in the Nazi's evil scheme.

Eva and her twin sister Miriam were experimented on by the infamous Dr Josef Mengele, but survived the camp. Eva said: "It's time to forgive, but not forget...I believe that forgiveness is such a powerful thing...and I want everybody to help me sow these seeds of peace throughout the world."

This takes amazing courage. But it is worth remembering that Jesus, our Messiah, made the first move when he prayed as he died in agony on a cross in Jerusalem: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34)

"Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits – who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases..." (Ps 103:2-3)

"Seek the Lord while he may be found...for he will freely pardon." (Isa 55:6-7)

Charles Gardner is author of Peace in Jerusalem, available from olivepresspublisher.com.

References

1 Jaffe works with the British Board of Deputies as a Communal Engagement with Israel Consultant. See Board of Deputies website. Jaffe has previously reported elsewhere on Christian support for Israel.

2 Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, in Beirut, 12 August 2015. See Times of Israel coverage here, written by Newman/AFP.

3 Soakell, D. Christian Friends of Israel's Watching Over Zion newsletter, 21 January.

4 Ibid.

5 Originally broadcast on Channel 4, Saturday 23 January, 8pm. Still available on 4oD.

'Angela Merkel: The Authorized Biography' by Stefan Kornelius (Alma Books Ltd, 2014, available from the publisher for £7.99 + P&P, or £5.99 on Amazon Kindle)

For those who have but a sketchy knowledge of European politics, this is a well-written book which will educate the reader. It describes the Chancellor of Germany and the eight turbulent years she has spent as the most powerful woman in Europe.

A Brilliant Student

The biography details Merkel's childhood, spent in East Germany (GDR) where she grew up the daughter of Horst Kasner, the founder and Head of the Pastoral College in the town of Templin. She is portrayed as a brilliant student, a serious young woman with a biting sense of humour.

At school she excelled in Russian and mathematics, and learnt to "keep quiet" during the GDR period. "It was one of our survival strategies", she said many years later. Using church channels to gain access to the highest authorities, Angela's father paved the way for her to begin studying physics at the Karl Marx University in Leipzig in 1973.

Following further studies at the Academy of Sciences in Berlin, in 1974 she met her first husband – Ulrich Merkel – during an exchange programme to Leningrad and Moscow. They married in 1977. Four years later the marriage broke down but Angela retained her husband's name - a surname which has become a household name in international politics.

For those who have but a sketchy knowledge of European politics, this is a well-written book that will educate the reader.

Rise to Power

As a young East German, knowing that the GDR was collapsing and now working politically in the Democratic Awakening Party, Angela had three aims: a unified Germany, a market economy and to sit in the Bundestag (German Parliament).

Kornelius tells how she set about realising her ambitions with dedication, hard work and a great sense of timing, catching the political eye of her future mentor and political hero – Helmut Kohl. After the Berlin Wall came down, he offered Merkel the post of Women and Youth and she was sworn into the Bundestag on 18 January 1991. She quickly rose through the political ranks. In the 2005 federal election she defeated Gerhard Schroder to become the first female Chancellor of Germany.

Behind the Credentials

Beyond the details of her life to date, the book also asks deeper questions: what makes Merkel tick? What are the foundations of her beliefs? How does she manage the coalitions that she heads up? How do her relationships with foreign countries play out?

She is portrayed by Kornelius as pragmatic, analytical, discreet, logical and a workaholic, who takes the time to assemble all the possible facts pertaining to problems before working her way steadily, step by step, to solve them. One of her favourite maxims is a simple one: "If you say you are going to do something, then you must do it".

Kornelius portrays Merkel as pragmatic, analytical, discreet, logical and a workaholic.

Connection with Israel

The biography does not shy away from discussing Merkel's strong connection with Israel. Her understanding of German history is inextricably bound up with the Shoah (Holocaust), when the Germans sought the annihilation of the Jews.

Consequently, her policy towards Israel, her love of the country and her support for the Jewish way of life is firm and binding. Whenever Merkel speaks of Israel, it is always in the context of German responsibility and guilt. Crucially, she recognises the Jewish character of the State of Israel.

Looking Forward

First released in 2013, this biography understandably argues that the greatest crisis of Merkel's political career to date is the Euro and its economic traumas - rather than the more recent migration issue. Nevertheless, it provides an illuminating guide to how Merkel may well steer the course into the future. Highly recommended.

Clifford Hill responds to the widespread sex attacks in Germany on New Year's Eve.

This was the headline news in Germany that has shaken the nation which has opened its borders to more than 1,000,000 migrants and refugees during the past year. It is particularly disturbing for the President Angela Merkel whose personal policy has been to provide an open door for those escaping the war in Syria and Iraq. She has been foremost among European leaders in expressing compassion, both in deeds and in words, for the victims of the violence and atrocities causing so much suffering in the Middle East.

The reports from a number of German cities show that similar incidents occurred to those in Cologne where it is reported on the BBC News website that "around 1000 young men arrived in large groups, seemingly with the specific intention of carrying out attacks on women."¹ More than 100 women have reported being subjected to sexual harassment and have complained that the police deployed outside the Central Station to control the New Year crowds did not come to their aid.

Organised Harassment

Newspaper reports say that the police were overwhelmed by the crowds of aggressive young men, many of whom were intoxicated, who surrounded women and girls intent on making sexual advances. There have been numerous reports of girls suffering unwelcome assaults that have left them traumatised. The Hamburg police said that many similar incidents had been reported on New Year's Eve and similar reports from other German cities indicate that this was part of an organised event.

The attacks have been particularly disturbing news for Angela Merkel, who has been foremost among European leaders in expressing compassion to refugees fleeing war-torn nations.

Link to Migrants

The most disturbing fact to come from these incidents is that many of the young men involved were migrants or asylum seekers. Many did not even speak German or English. The inevitable conclusion from this is that Germany has been foolish in taking so many newcomers in such a short period of time and not providing for their acculturation into German society.

It would be very sad if the events in Cologne and Hamburg triggered widespread anti-migrant activities, but it is hard to see how such sentiment can be avoided in view of the public outrage at the attacks upon defenceless women and girls simply out to enjoy a New Year party atmosphere.

Lack of Cultural Understanding

This is a clear demonstration of the danger of policies devised by well-meaning politicians who have no understanding of the culture and social values of Islam that have moulded the upbringing of these young men. To them, women on the streets, scantily dressed and not under the authority of a man are nothing more than prostitutes and are therefore fair game.

Well-meaning politicians in the West may have no understanding of the cultural and social values that will have moulded the upbringing of these young men.

In Islam, all women are second-class citizens. In Saudi Arabia they are not even allowed to drive a car, let alone appear on the streets unaccompanied by a man. Legally their testimony is not equal to that of a man and they do not have equal human rights. A girl who is raped in a town can be stoned for adultery because it is assumed that she should have cried out for help, therefore she is guilty of complicity. The men often escape punishment.

Inevitable Repercussions

Until European leaders study the teaching of Islam they will continue to blunder by forming policies that can only lead to violent confrontation and social disorder, even if they successfully filter out the migrants who come into Europe with the deliberate intention of carrying out acts of terrorism.

Until European leaders study the teaching and culture of Islamic countries, they will continue to blunder with policies that foster social disorder and not successful integration.

The New Year events in Germany will have repercussions throughout Europe and we can only hope and pray that the German authorities will act quickly to instigate educational courses to teach their one million newcomers about the Christian heritage of Europe and the social values that are rooted in our faith.

What is God Doing?

Prophetically, we have to ask the question of whether God has sent all these people of North African and Arab descent as the 'rod of his anger', in judgement upon Europe for the way we have scorned our spiritual heritage and despised our Christian birthright - as he sent the Assyrians against Judah in the time of Isaiah. On the other hand, it may be that in his love and mercy, remembering the faith of our forefathers, God may be sending this great influx of Muslims into Europe as the greatest opportunity for evangelism we have ever had.

After hundreds of years of missionary activity in North Africa and the Middle East, our Western missionaries have made little impact. Could it be that God is allowing the terrible conflict in the Middle East as the means of opening up those nations that have been closed to the gospel for hundreds of years? The major question we have to face is: does Europe have sufficient commitment to the gospel which declares that salvation is only to be found in the name of Jesus? And can the churches in Europe rise to the challenge to be witnesses for Jesus, forthrightly and fearlessly showing his love and declaring his word? The future of world peace may depend upon the answer to these questions.

References

1 Germany shocked by Cologne New Year gang assaults on women, BBC News, 5 January 2016.

Whilst the media puts us all on information overload, the church largely stays silent. How can Christians understand the nature and purposes of God - and make them known?

There is no shortage of news today. In fact, most people are on information overload! We are bombarded with messages through the internet, from social media, from the TV news, from newspapers and magazines and all the stuff that comes through the letterbox. The world news becomes more depressing every day. The following are a few headlines from the first week of 2016:

Starving people in besieged towns near Damascus / Islamic State beheads more victims and threatens Britain / 47 dissidents executed in Saudi Arabia / Iran and Saudi Arabia break diplomatic contact / North Korea explodes a hydrogen bomb / Stock Market crash in China threatens economy / More migrants drown in boats from Turkey to Greece / Arab and North African men assault women at New Year celebrations in German cities.

But all these headlines are about what human beings are doing in the world. The great missing factor in our news broadcasts is "What is God doing today?"

Silence from the Church

This question should be in the minds of every Christian and on the lips of every preacher in every church in the land! Why is there such silence from church leaders? Do Christians no longer believe in the sovereignty of God? The Bible teaches us that God is not simply the God of creation, who flung the stars into orbit and created the universe – God is still active, sustaining his creation, and communicating with human beings whom he made in his own image.

The media is highly active in bringing us information about what is happening in every part of the world. But why is the church not similarly active in telling the world what God is doing today? The world does not know that God is active in working out his purposes today because there is no word coming from major church leaders and ordinary Christians are so silent. Why are we so timid about being witnesses to the truth? Do we not know that nothing happens in the world that is not either the direct will of God or his allowable will?

The media is highly active bringing us information on what is happening around the world. Why is the church not similarly active in declaring what God is doing?

The Nature and Purposes of GodA lady watches the recent dip in the Chinese stock market. See Photo Credits.

The Bible is packed with information about the nature and purposes of God: how he revealed his truth to the prophets of Israel, how he sent Jesus, our Lord and Saviour, to enable us to know him as our Father, and how he both loves us and is a God of justice, requiring us to be his witnesses to the world.

But God never gives a task without also giving the ability to fulfil it. This is why the Holy Spirit was given to believers to enable them to understand what God is doing and to empower them to speak to others in his name.

God told the prophets that there would come a day when the nations would reach such a point of rebellion against the truth that he would start to shake them like gravel in a sieve. This is reported by Isaiah (2:12-21) and Haggai (2:6-7) and repeated in Hebrews (12:26f), where the purposes of God's shaking of the nations is explained.

Those who understand the truth revealed in the Bible and who also study world history will know that a new phase of history was entered in the early 20th century with the First World War, which signalled the collapse of the great modern empires. This process was accelerated by the Second World War which changed the map of the world and began great movements of population that are coming to a climax today, with vast numbers moving from east to west and south to north. The inevitable clash of cultures is only just beginning, which will intensify instability and violence in the nations.

The Holy Spirit was given to believers to empower them to understand what God is doing and to speak to others in his name.

At the same time, the rise of militant secularism in Western nations is undermining truth, deceiving people, blinding them to the significance of what is happening around them and destroying their ability to resist the power of false religions and philosophies that threaten their security. Western civilisation is beginning to crumble and this is a major reason why God is shaking the nations - to alert us to the danger of what lies ahead.

The Searchlight of Truth

Just consider what God has done in recent years. He has been turning on the searchlight of truth to reveal the corruption that is spreading like a cancer through the Western nations. In 2008 the light was turned on greed and corruption in the banking industry. In Britain this was followed by similar revelations among our politicians and revelations of sexual immorality among church leaders, followed by similar revelations among celebrities who are the idols of modern society.

A major reason why God is shaking the nations is to alert us to the danger of what lies ahead.

Now the searchlight of truth is being turned upon Islam and this is partly why there is such turmoil in the Middle East, where Islam began. God has even allowed the establishment of the Islamic State, whose atrocities have shocked many Muslims who know very little about the history of Islam, the activities of Muhammad, and the teaching of the Qur'an – all of which are reflected in the practices of Islamic State fighters, who claim to be the only true Muslims. Muslim scholars know the teaching and practices of Muhammad, but it has been hidden from the world for centuries. It is now being revealed as the searchlight of truth is turned on.

Truth Brings Freedom

At the same time, many Jews and Muslims across the Middle East - from North Africa to Iraq and Iran - are having dreams and visions of Jesus, as God reveals his truth to them. This is preparing the way of the Kingdom of God, which the writer to the Hebrews says is the purpose of the great shaking of the nations (Heb 12:26f).
So instead of being afraid of all the turmoil in the world today, we should actually be glad to see God at work in his world, shaking all the man-made systems and false teachings that have deceived and enslaved multitudes. It is the truth that sets us free!

Germany's welcome to the refugees seems to go above and beyond the call of duty. What is driving it?

Europe is facing an unprecedented population influx of refugees and economic migrants. Increasingly, it is becoming a melting pot of race and culture as thousands flee to what they perceive to be a safe political and economic haven.

But what is the European Union? Is this increasingly uneasy grouping of nations a truly safe and welcoming haven for migrants? Perhaps the only common driver for governments and citizens (and migrants hoping to become citizens) is our relative economic security and a desire to live in peace, or at least the absence of war.

Is this increasingly uneasy grouping of nations a truly safe and welcoming haven for migrants?

Merkel's Faith

The country leading this federation has the worst track record when it comes to treatment of outsiders. Yet Germany is unquestionably Europe's leader and Angela Merkel its most influential premier, perhaps deservedly so. The former scientist with a doctorate in Physics is the daughter of a Lutheran pastor and has declared:

I am a member of the Evangelical Church. I believe in God, and religion is also my constant companion, and actually has been my entire life. I find it very liberating that as a Christian, one can make mistakes, that one knows there is something higher than just human beings, and that we are also called on to shape the world in responsibility for others. This is a framework for my life, which I consider very important.¹

Merkel may belong to the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party but public declarations of personal faith are rarely uttered by German politicians. However, Merkel's biographer, Volker Resing, called her life story The Protestant,² illustrating the centrality of faith for the German Chancellor. He reveals that in 2009, when Angela Merkel and Barack Obama met in Dresden they sat together in quiet prayer in the Frauenkirche, an event most Germans remained unaware of because Merkel did not allow pictures.³

Germany may have the worst track record when it comes to treating outsiders, but it is unquestionably Europe's leader and Merkel is its most influential premier – perhaps deservedly.

Attitude to Refugees

In September, speaking at the University of Bern, Switzerland, the German Chancellor was asked about the "dangers of the Islamisation of Europe". In response, she encouraged Christians to embrace their identity: "I would like to see more people who have the courage to say 'I am a Christian believer'. And more people who have the courage to enter into a dialogue".

In Germany where, as in most of Europe, church attendance has declined, Merkel suggested people should go back to the "tradition of attending a church service now and then, and having some biblical foundations". She pointed out that many do not have an understanding of Christian concepts like Pentecost. She suggested that the debate about Islam and the identity of Europe, "could lead us to deal again with our own roots and to know them better."⁴

Angela Merkel, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor, has been encouraging church attendance and calling for Christians to embrace their identity.

Commenting on those who have responded with trepidation to the numbers entering Germany, she said, "Fear was never a good advisor" and "Cultures that are marked by fear will not conquer their future."⁵

The Sins of the Past

Some fear is surely healthy, such as fear of repeating the sins of the past. Merkel has always been quick to own up to German responsibility for the Holocaust. "The Shoah fills us Germans with shame. I bow before the victims. I bow before the survivors and before all those who helped them survive," she said in her address to the Israeli Knesset (parliament) in 2008. "The mass murder of six million Jews, carried out in the name of Germany, has brought indescribable suffering to the Jewish people, Europe and the entire world."⁶

However, anti-Semitism is on the rise in Germany once again. According to one report, "Scrawling swastikas on synagogues, Jew-baiting during demonstrations, desecration of Jewish cemeteries", are taking place today. Apparently, the word 'Jew' is once again an insult and bullying of Jewish schoolchildren comes from Arab children but mainly from those influenced by the far right.⁷

Is it this history and re-emergence of intolerance in sections of German society that is encouraging Angela Merkel to take the lead in the migrant crisis and allowing huge numbers to enter Germany? Germany needs migrant workers, but the scale of immigration surely far exceeds its need. Germany is expecting 800,000 to 1 million by the end of 2015 and its Vice Chancellor Sigmar Gabriel has said Germany can take 500,000 a year for several years.⁸

In welcoming so many refugees, is Merkel seizing the chance to show that Germany has repented for the Holocaust and its past intolerance towards outsiders?

Repentant Democracy?

In the face of what many in the Jewish community today are likening to the Jewish flight from Nazi Germany, is this former dictatorship proving itself to be the kindest-hearted democracy of all? Is Germany being given a second chance? Angela Merkel is perhaps seizing the opportunity to show that Germany has learnt the lessons of its history of intolerance and hatred towards the outsider.

It may be that this openness, directly from the seat of power, is a result of the various acts of repentance over Germany's responsibility for the Holocaust initiated by German Christians, such as the Protestant community of nuns known as the Evangelical Sisters of Mary.⁹

Opportunity for the Gospel

European Christians have struggled to take the gospel to the Muslim world, but that world is now coming to Europe and Germany in particular: the former graveyard of Europe is yielding new life and spiritual hope for a wave of ethnic and religious outsiders, as German churches open their buildings to refugees amid reports of mass conversions to Christianity.¹⁰

European Christians have struggled to take the gospel to the Muslim world, but now that world is coming to us.

The pastor of a Berlin church has seen his congregation at the evangelical Trinity Church grow from 150 to more than 600 in just two years, describing the number of conversions as a miracle. Some have raised the concern that these conversions are not genuine but are made in hope of increasing their chances of staying in the country. In Afghanistan and Iran conversion from Islam is a capital offence and so they trust that the German government would not send them back to certain death. However, Angela Merkel has said that Islam "belongs in Germany" and that conversion is no guarantee of asylum.¹¹

Fear or Faith?

Many also fear a stealth or soft jihad, a sleeper population of Muslim insurgents who will in time out grow their host population. However, should we not see the current crisis as a God given opportunity to bring the gospel to those whose national borders have kept them as spiritual prisoners? We need to ask ourselves if God is more interested in preserving our national borders or in the salvation of people groups.

Is God more interested in preserving national borders or in saving people?

In Britain, we too have opportunities to show kindness to refugees and migrants. Do we retreat in fear or welcome in faith? Britain and Europe have squandered their Christian inheritance, but we, the remnant Church, must rise to the challenge to bring comfort and hope to the stranger in our land. Our nation offers prosperity, political freedom and cessation of war, but the Church now has the opportunity to offer true freedom and peace.

References

1 Angela Merkel Believes in God. Dialogue International, 29 November 2012.

2 Resing, V, 2009. Angela Merkel: Die Protestantin. St Benno, Auflage.

3 Warner, M B. Merkel raises eyebrows by raising religion. Global Post, 27 November 2012.

4 'Courageous Christians with biblical foundations' needed, says Merkel. Evangelical Focus, 7 September 2015. 

5 Ibid.

6 Tom Chivers and agencies. Germany is 'filled with shame' over Nazi holocaust, Angela Merkel tells Israel. The Daily Telegraph, 18 March 2008.

7 Asche, C. Anti-Semitism Is On The Rise In German Schools. Huffington Post Germany, 3 April 2015.

8 Migrant crisis: Germany 'can take 500,000 asylum seekers a year'. BBC News, 8 September 2015.

9 See Faithful, G, 2014. Mothering the Fatherland: A Protestant Sisterhood Repents for the Holocaust. OUP.

10 Huggler, J. German churches open the doors to refugees under protection of ancient custom. The Daily Telegraph, 15 March 2015.

11 Taylor, F. Hundreds of Muslim Refugees convert to Christianity in German church. Christianity Today, 7 September 2015.

Clifford Hill surveys the Volkswagen scandal and asks: is God saying something to Germany - and to us?

Germany, the political and economic driver of Europe, has suffered one blow of dismay and humiliation after another in the past month. The country was still struggling with the fallout from their controversial migration policy when the Volkswagen scandal struck. What's going on in Europe's leading nation? Is there any prophetic significance in these events?

The Volkswagen Scandal

Volkswagen, the world's leading car manufacturer, has admitted that some 11 million of their cars distributed around the world have been fitted with a cheating device that gives a false reading of its engine efficiency when on the test pad. It cuts the emission of pollutants while the car is being tested but once out on the road the car can spew poisonous gases into the air, including nitrogen oxides, in amounts 40 times higher than regulation emissions standards.

So far investigations have been restricted to Volkswagen, but the spiralling scandal has led to calls for cars from other manufacturers to be checked for carrying similar devices deliberately designed to cheat when the cars are being tested. US authorities, who broke the news that they had discovered the sophisticated software which turns off pollution emissions on the test pad said that VW had admitted equipping about half a million cars in the United States. VW then admitted some 2.8 million cars in Germany also had the devices and that others have been distributed throughout Europe including in Britain.

Bankruptcy Threatened

The revelations, with their potential of creating the world's biggest corporate scandal, immediately hit the value of VW's shares. Some €25 billion, about 40%, was wiped off VW's share price in just two days. The US Government added to Volkswagen's woes by announcing that they would levy fines of $18 billion. But this is only the start of the cost to VW which may result in diesel engines no longer being used for domestic cars. It is a crippling blow to the worldwide sales of VW cars which include Audi, Seat and Skoda models, that could bankrupt the firm creating massive workforce redundancies that will affect the German national economy.

Blow to Pride

The VW revelations have dealt an enormous blow to German pride: Volkswagen is a national symbol of German character and has strengthened their economy since World War II.

The Volkswagen revelations not only have financial implications; they have dealt an enormous blow to German pride. Volkswagen is not just a carmaker; it is a symbol of the national character of Germany. Volkswagen began producing a 'People's car' in the Nazi era and played a significant role in the recovery of the German economy after World War II. It became the ambition of every German family to own a VW and the company's worldwide success symbolised the prosperity of the nation enabling it to exercise both economic and political power in Europe.

Suddenly all this prosperity and pride is now threatened. Germany has dominated the councils of the EU, successfully persuaded a group of nations to join the euro club putting their national economies under the control of the European Central Bank (mainly under German control), and forced crippling austerity programmes upon those with weaker economies. Now it is Germany's turn to be worried about their national economy and there are many Europeans who will say that they are getting their comeuppance.

London's ReputationLondon's financial heart - once a centre renowned for business integrity.

But we in Britain are in no place to point the finger. We too have suffered enormous blows to our national pride through cheating. Our bankers used to have a worldwide reputation for honesty in the days when London was renowned for business integrity and deals could be made on the basis of word-of-mouth and a handshake, without even reading the small print. That reputation for honesty has disappeared in a cesspit of banking scandals, Libor rate fixing, and massive rewards paid to failed executives.

It is not only in the world of finance that cheating has been exposed; our great parliamentary tradition that used to be the envy of the world has been humbled by the exposure of cheating by Members of both Houses of Parliament, with scandals involving their expenses and allowances, and selling their services for commercial gain.

The catalogue of cheating exposures does not end there but has included the sexual abuse of children and other scandals by celebrities and leaders in church and state that have shaken the nation.

We in Britain are in no place to point the finger at Germany, having suffered enormous blows to our national pride through cheating.

The Western World

Other European nations have also had their shocks and similarly in the United States cheating and corruption have been exposed, leading to the downfall of mighty financial institutions. So what's going on throughout the Western world among nations who share the Christian faith and a long biblical heritage?

Surely, the plain answer is that as nations we have deliberately turned our backs upon the word of God that historically has provided trustworthy foundations for personal and social morality. The spiralling revelations that have been shaking the nations throughout the past 40 years coincide with the increasing secularisation of the nations and the abandonment of biblical values. All of these things are prophesied in the Bible that speaks of a great shaking of the nations and a time of international turmoil and conflict.

Warning Signs

The revelations of cheating in the nations are not just coincidental, they are warning signs urging us to change course before bringing disaster upon our generation. The revelations are the deliberate action of God turning on the light to expose evil. His major purpose is to bring his salvation to the nations rather than to bring judgement.

Uncovering corruption is a salutary warning of the consequences of abandoning truth and deliberately turning upside-down the moral values which are part of God's act of creation.

Uncovering corruption is a salutary warning of the consequences of deliberately up-ending the moral values which are part of God's act of creation.

The word of God to our generation is "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter. Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight...For they have rejected the law of the Lord Almighty" (Isa 5:20-24). The future history of the world depends upon whether or not we will take note of the warning signs!

'Jacob's Tears', DVD documentary by Hatikvah Films (2015, 1 h 44 mins, available from the publisher for £15, or click here to stream immediately for £9.99)

How does one explain the 'why', 'what', 'where' and 'how' of the greatest catastrophe in Israel's national history (known as the Shoah in Hebrew), which took place less than 100 years ago in a highly civilised, cultured European country, during the twelve year reign of Hitler's Third Reich?

A DVD produced by Hatikvah Films, narrated by Peter Darg and Richard Climpson and presented by the late Lance Lambert, is a thought-provoking, arresting narrative of the Holocaust – presenting both Jewish and German viewpoints.

The Seeds of the Holocaust

The seeds of the Holocaust were planted in the German psyche well before World War II. During the 1930s, Hitler became the most successful politician of his era, uniting the Germans by blaming the Jews for the country's post-WWI political, economic and social woes. This created a climate for virulent anti-Semitism.

In 1930 after re-creating and enlarging 'the throne of Satan' (Rev 2:13), an ancient stone altar in Pergamum, as part of the new Nazi rally grounds in Nuremberg, Hitler used the enormous arena to accommodate the masses, who offered their adulation in raised-arm salutes to their Fuhrer. "Heil Hitler" means 'salvation comes from Hitler'.

This DVD by Hatikvah Films, presented by the late Lance Lambert, is a thought-provoking, arresting narrative of the Holocaust, presenting both Jewish and German viewpoints.

Sister Joela Kruger of the Evangelical Sisters of Mary explains the spiritual dynamic in Germany during that time. Hitler sought to eradicate the Christian witness there and to transfer the peoples' allegiance to himself - hence the conflict of the two crosses: the broken swastika and the true Cross of Jesus Christ.

Tragically the Church was silent, even after the horrific events of Kristellnacht on 9 November 1938. German Jews were set upon by the SS and SR, beaten, their homes attacked and looted and their synagogues burnt to the ground. Some brave Christian leaders - Dietrich Bonhoeffer amongst them - did speak out against Hitler, but NOT (significantly) against his treatment of the Jews.

Looking East

As the gas chambers of Auschwitz and Dachau became the hideous killing factories for European Jewry and other despised ethnic groups, Hitler turned his eyes towards Jerusalem. Being a prominent foreshadowing of anti-Christ, he allied himself with the Mufti of Jerusalem. Both men held an endlessly hostile attitude towards the Jewish people and they signed an agreement for the 'extermination' of the Jews.

By 1942, a German conquest of the Middle East seemed a distinct possibility. The British held the Mandate in Palestine (as it was then known) but the country was very vulnerable, completely surrounded by armed and dangerous enemies. The Germans were strategically placed to overcome the Allies but failed to capitalise on their advantage. The Allied victory at El Alamein secured the national homeland of the Jews – the land of Israel; many saw this as a victory by the finger of God.

Curses and Blessings

Many Germans today acknowledge that the Holocaust left a nation under a curse. Families have suffered generationally from the commitment of their forebears to the Third Reich. But praise God, those who come to Christ in repentance have the curse broken by Christ's work on the cross. What grace has been poured out to all sinners!

Is Germany cursed or blessed? Commentaries by Dr Harald Eckhert, Chairman of European Coalition for Israel and Dr Jurgen Buhler, Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem are emotionally revealing. Some Germans have led the way into deep repentance for their nation's sins against the Jews. The late Basilea Schlink of the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary in Darmstadt was a guiding light, leading the way. The nation has been rebuilt, is prospering and secure. Chancellor Angela Merkel has said that Germany owes its nationhood to the State of Israel. Both countries maintain a loyal, reliable and strong alliance. As Dr Eckhart asks with fear and trembling "can we as a nation match up to the grace that the Lord has poured out upon us?"

Some Germans have led the way into deep repentance for the nation's sins against the Jews, and God has poured out grace upon them. But anti-Semitism has not been entirely eradicated.

Sister Joela Kruger says that not all Germans are repentant. There is another form of anti-Semitism taking root there. It is opposition to the State of Israel. God's judgement has nevertheless been suspended to give Germany an opportunity to become a sheep nation (Matt 25:32). But he will have the last word.

DVD

I commend the DVD to all who have a desire to understand the role Germany played on the world stage during the 12 years of the Third Reich. The scenes and images on the DVD are familiar to some but traumatising for others - there is a warning about allowing children to watch it.

God Almighty does not change. He has said that whoever blesses Israel will be blessed, BUT whoever curses Israel will be cursed. Let us too, as a nation, take warning.

Christians are again in danger of being silenced over Israel: Charles Gardner asks if we have truly learnt the lessons of the Holocaust.

Anti-Semitism alive and well in Europe

A controversial church leader has been severely reprimanded for posting a link on Facebook blaming Israel for the 9/11 attacks on the United States. Rev. Stephen Sizer, Vicar of Christ Church in Virginia Water, Surrey, has since apologized for his “ill-considered and misguided” action¹ and removed the link. However, he has been banned from using social media for six months.

A Church of England spokesman said it was a matter of “deep sorrow and shame”² that the posts appeared in the same week as the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, when the full horror of Nazi crimes against the Jews was revealed to the world. The Bishop of Guildford, Rt Rev. Andrew Watson, said Rev. Sizer’s actions were “indefensible” and has set a series of conditions on him keeping his job.³

This small incident forms part of a much more widespread increase of anti-Semitism in recent months. The jihadist attacks in Paris and Copenhagen, where Jewish communities are now living in extreme fear, indicate another source of vehement hatred of Jews: fundamentalist Islam. These examples from within Europe do not touch on the world-wide increase of anti-Semitic action and feeling, most of which is not reported by mainstream media.

Remembering the Holocaust

2015 marks the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, when the full horror of Nazi crimes against the Jews was revealed to the world. Recently Sister Thekla, a German nun, has spoken of her shame at the suffering caused by her nation through the Holocaust: “It grieves me what my nation has done, especially to the Jewish people,” she told a conference in York on Israel and the Church.⁴

“We had touched the apple of God’s eye and saw God’s judgment poured out on our nation as a result,” she said, in reference to the repeated bombing of Darmstadt. One 1944 attack on Darmstadt killed 10 percent of its inhabitants and made 60 percent of its population homeless.

“We had touched the apple of God’s eye and saw God’s judgment poured out on our nation as a result” - Sister Thekla, German nun, regarding the Holocaust

The Darmstadt bombings prompted local resident Basilea Schlink to found the Evangelical Sisterhood of Mary, dedicated to reconciliation with the Jewish people. Mother Basilea and a group of fellow Christians wept under deep conviction of the terrible sins committed by Germany against the Jews, dating back to the time of the Crusades. Subsequently they went to Israel to volunteer their services as nurses, and to seek forgiveness from the Jewish people. She said:

We can never heal the wounds. Only Christ can do that. It is a painful memory, but I confess these crimes...If the German community had stood up as one man, the Nazis would not have been at such liberty to pursue their schemes. Where was the Christian church?⁵

She warned that today’s church was in danger of repeating history.

Will history repeat itself?

The tragedy of anti-Semitism is not just something in the past. It is flaring up again. And in the not-too-distant future we Christians will all be challenged about our relationship with Israel. Will Christians once more stay silent?

"In the not-too-distant future, Christians will all be challenged again about our relationship with Israel. Will we stay silent?"

Also addressing the York conference, organised by the Emmaus Group, was Sister Glory, a British member of the order with a Methodist background:

Israel is once again hated by the nations, which is a picture of our Lord Jesus, who was despised and rejected of men. We are called to pray for Israel. They need love, born out of repentance, the only kind that will open their hearts. We have often not presented the true image of Jesus to them.

Britain is complicit

Sister Glory also emphasised that the British have blood on their hands concerning Israel. She referred to 1190 when the entire Jewish community of York were herded into Clifford’s Tower, just across the river from the conference venue, and massacred. A hundred years later Jews were expelled from Britain altogether, before being welcomed back at the time of Cromwell through the influence of the Pilgrim Fathers (a radical Christian group who were themselves hounded out of the country before emerging as the founding fathers of the United States).

More recently, following Britain’s Balfour Declaration of 1917 promising support for a Jewish national homeland, the Government reneged on its pledge by dividing the allocated land, and acting treacherously to appease the Arabs while forcing the Jews to disarm. Many Jews trying to escape the Holocaust to Israel were turned back and some died when their boat sank.

“We betrayed the greatest trust ever given to a nation”, Sister Glory added. And now Britain is in danger of repeating history, with the strong message of support Parliament has sent to the Palestinian Authority over its quest for state recognition.

Those who bless Israel will be blessed

In experiencing the fulfillment of Genesis 12:3 (that those who bless Israel will themselves be blessed, while those who curse her will come under judgment), Britain has suffered the loss of her Empire along with increasing brokenness within the nation itself.

Sister Glory ended by quoting former British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli: “The Lord deals with the nations as the nations deal with the Jews.”

What will our response be? For if you really love Jesus, you will love His people, the Jews.

References

1 Sizer, S, Statement of Apology, released 30 January 2015.

2 Church of England, Statement on Rev Stephen Sizer, released 29 January 2015.

3 Bishop of Guildford, Right Rev Andrew Watson, Statement on Stephen Sizer, released 9 February 2015.

4 'The Messiah, the Church and Israel' conference, 22 November 2014, Park Inn York, Emmaus Group.

5 Ibid, quote by Sister Thekla.

Charles Gardner is a journalist originally from South Africa, now living in Yorkshire. He is part Jewish and writes for The Times of Israel.