Monday's thoughts

"Ann Frank Remembered"
On the Sunday after the fourth of July we want to think about our freedom and we want to be sure we don't take it for granted. Miep Gies is the woman who did Ann Frank and her family from the Nazis shortly after the Frank family escaped to Denmark. Miep is the one who preserved the diary that has become a famous archive of the atrocity of the persecution of the Jews and the rising above that persecution of the spirit of love as found in the words of a child.

In the introduction of the book Miep writes, "In some instances many of the details of events recorded in this book are half-forgotten. I have reconstituted conversations and events as closely as possible to the way I remember them. It is not easy to recall these memories in such detail. Even with the passing of time, it does not get easier.
My story is a story of very ordinary people during extraordinarily terrible times. Times the like of which I hope with all my heart will never, never come again. It is for all of us ordinary people all over the world to see to it that they do not."

How do we see to it that freedom is preserved? How do we protect the freedom we have and work to maintain it?

On the Sunday after the 4Th of July we remember the founding of our nation in spirit of freedom that declared an independence over all attempts to subjugate us to the arbitrary will of a foreign government.

As I work through the week I am going to be thinking about freedom and how to preserve it. I'm going to think about personal freedom and corporate freedom. I'm going to think about how we are free to express ourselves in this country and how we are called upon to allow all people to express that freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of thought.

Where do you experience a lack of freedom? How should we, in our day, battle to keep the freedom we have? to insure the freedom for others?

If you have thoughts on this subject write me at charlesschuster@fcfumc.net. If you are willing to have others read your thoughts click on the box below.

In the words of Miep Gies, "My story is a story of very ordinary people during extraordinarily terrible times. Times the like of which I hope with all my heart will never, never come again. It is for all of us ordinary people all over the world to see to it that they do not."

I look forward to hearing from you.



Charles