"For Trocmé, every person - Jew and non-Jew, German and non-German - had a spiritual diamond at the center of his vitality, a hard, clear, pricelessly valuable source that God cherishes." "Lest Innocent Blood Be Shed" is the story of the tireless love of Andre Trocmé, a protestant pastor and advocate of nonviolence, his wife Magda, his cousin Daniel, Edouard Theis, and the community of Le Chambon, a tiny French village under Vichy control during WWII. The community hid, protected, and aided the escape of large numbers of refugees, including many children, who were trying to hide from the oppression of fascism or the threat of death in concentration camps, as was the case for Jewish refugees. What is remarkable about this story is the simplicity of goodness in action, which the people of the Le Chambon did under the guidance of their pastor without hesitation. Fostered by their Christian faith, the act of saving the lives of those in need was never in question, since all men, women, and children have intrinsic value to God. Beyond mere heroism, this is the story of the goodness of people in the most harrowing of times.
Links:
The Righteous Among the Nations
Citation Information:
Hallie, P. P. (1979). Lest innocent blood be shed: The story of the village of Le Chambon, and how goodness happened there. New York: Harper & Row.
No comments:
Post a Comment