The Power of Good

During a time of profound evil, it is easy to focus on the bad and forget about the good. The Holocaust of World War II was one such time. While Hitler and his Nazi sympathizers were performing horrendous acts of brutality against minorities, such as Jews, gypsies, and homosexuals, to name a few, there were still some people who recognized the evil and did what they could to battle it.

I was made aware of the bold and courageous acts of Sir Nicholas Winton during a workshop about the Holocaust and Genocide. Nicholas Winton was a stock broker in England before WWII. Despite the depression his job provided him with a certain degree of wealth. In December 1938, Winton left for a skiing trip in Switzerland, which he never made. Instead, during his stop in Prague, he found refugees by the thousands, all homeless ahead of the Nazi "invasion" of Czechoslovakia. Instead of ignoring the issue as "someone else's problem," he took charge and set to work straight away to rescue as many children as possible from the terrible tragedy that was unfolding. By the time Germany invaded Poland in September, 1939 marking the beginning of WWII, Winton had rescued 669 children. He packed up all his work, for there was nothing else he could do, joined the RAF (Royal Air Force) and served his country. This chapter in his life was closed.

More than 40 years later, his wife stumbled across a steamer trunk in the attic. Upon opening it, she discovered pictures, scrapbooks, documents, official stamps of both Great Britain and Nazi Germany. What she unlocked was the chapter of Winton's life that he had all but forgotten about. When asked about these items, he simply dismissed it as something he felt he needed to do at the time and then it was done.

But it is not done. Winton's efforts in rescuing these 669 children has resulted in thousands of people today who can thank him for their life - the children and grand children of those saved from the holocaust. The video(which I own), The Power of Good, is an incredible documentary about Nicholas Winton and his work to save the Jewish children of Prague before World War II. At the website, you can view a 6 minute clip of the one hour video. It tells about Winton, now 98, and his work and dedication. About how he was honored decades later for work that he felt was necessary, that he undertook, not for recognition, but just to do good.

The Power of Good: The Nicholas Winton Story
Nicholas Winton, Rescuer of Jews

This week, Irene Sendler, another individual who did immense good during this time of evil, passed away. She was also 98. She smuggled 2,500 children out of Nazi-occupied Warsaw, at great risk to her own life. At times, her own life was in danger, especially after she was arrested for being a Jewish sympathizer. She was repeatedly tortured and beaten to give up the names of others involved in the operation. She did not give up any names and was rescued by way of a bribe and, undeterred, continued her work, but under a different name.

A Pole Who Saved 2,500 Jews, Dies
Polish Holocaust Hero Dies at Age 98

It is amazing how we overlook the good and focus on the bad. We become so preoccupied by the evil that we sometimes fail to recognize the efforts of people who step up in those desperate times. These are only two people who helped, but how many countless others go unrecognized?