A Forgotten Story

  
While listening to a recent NPR "World Story of the Day" podcast, I came across a piece of history that I had never learned about previously but was fascinated by...the story of a Polish man who sneaked into Auschwitz during World War II to gain information about the infamous and horrific camp.
This past weekend was the 70th anniversary of when Witold Pilecki, a Polish army captain, willingly volunteered to enter Auschwitz in order to report to the world the atrocities that were taking place inside.  Prior to 1940, little was known about Auschwitz, and many assumed it was a POW camp.  Deciding that information was vital, Pilecki spent over two-and-a-half grueling years suffering inside Auschwitz, while at the same time smuggling valuable and astonishing information outside of the camp to the underground Polish army, the exiled Polish government in London, and the British and Americans.   Pilecki survived for nearly three years inside the camp before making his escape, deciding any more time spent inside Aushwitz would be "too dangerous and difficult."  After escaping, Pilecki continued to serve in the underground Polish army until he was executed by communist forces who accused him of espionage.

This NPR story can be read by clicking on the following link.

I was interested in the story, as it is not one that has been commonly shared in the past.  Until the Berlin Wall fell, communist leaders in Poland forbid the mention of Pilecki's name, so his story is one that has just recently been told outside of the country.  I also was interested in the story as I think that it provides a brief picture of the Gospel.  Pilecki was willing to sacrifice his life and endured the horrors of Auschwitz that others might learn of the atrocities taking place under the Nazi regime and the oppressed may be liberated.  In the Gospel, we find our hope knowing that Christ "did not count equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" and "becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phillipians 2: 6-8).  We also know that Christ conquered death and that "God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phillipians 2: 9-11).  Christ was willing to sacrifice his perfect life, enduring death on our behalf and conquering it, that we may be liberated from the rule of sin and death.  As Pilecki served to make the atrocities of Auschwitz known to the world, so may we also heed the call to "proclaim Christ's death until he comes again."