I was born in Canada, a country of freedom and privilege, and have never personally experienced the reality of war, famine, or the mass extermination of people. I do not take this lightly, but in view of what I saw today, I believe that sometimes we must open our eyes and our hearts to the brokenness of the world we live in, so that we can better understand the heart of the God who created us and cares for each one of us with a love far beyond our comprehension.
Today I visited the Memorial to the Victims of Holodomor in Ukraine , not knowing what I to expect. The word "Holodomor" means "death by starvation," and this memorial remembers the millions of Ukrainians who died in the great famine of 1932-33 under the authority of Stalin.
- This is one of the grieving angels at the memorial entrance, guarding the souls of those who died.
- This statue represents the people who were imprisoned and killed for having 6 ears of grain.
- This is the Candle of Memory, which stands above the underground memorial hall. On the front of the monument is a depiction of revival coming out of the darkness of tragedy - a bronze crane emerging from bars of bondage.
- This was one of the first things we saw as we entered - it is a sheaf of grain wrapped in barbed wire, which symbolizes that it was inaccessible to the people, also demonstrated by the reaching hands.
- These are some of the exhibits, reminders of peasant life in Ukraine.
- Encircling the room are books, listing the names of the millions of people who died.
- This is the Memorial Bell, located out the back exit of the memorial. The sides of the hillside beyond are lined with plates listing the names of villages that were completely obliterated by the famine.
- This is the center of the memorial hall inside the Candle of Memory, where anyone can light a candle in memory. The grains of wheat in the center represent the millions of people who died. The symbolism of a candle - a shining light - in the midst of this black and tragic memorial is significant.
I have to tell you, that even as I write this, I have tears in my eyes. When I looked at the books and thought about the millions of names, too many to count, and the intrinsic value of each one, I grieved. The sheer enormity of loss and suffering that was endured by those who lived in the Stalinist regime is overwhelming and I cannot comprehend the darkness of soul that could so devalue human life.
BUT... there is a light of hope in this darkness, and it is not just the little candles that people light in memory of those who suffered and died, and it is this:
God sees and He cares. I have not lived in a time of such unimaginable horror and pain, and so I cannot truly empathize with those who have, but I do know my God and am so convinced of His love that not even a sad memorial such as this can cause me to despair. There is not one thought or emotion or deed that goes unnoticed by our Sovereign Almighty God, the One who holds the entire universe in the palm of His hand and who knows every one of us more intimately than we know ourselves. The renewed realization of this wonderful truth is the ONLY thing that made this little excursion more than an exercise in history.
Yes, my heart aches and I wish that there was no such evil in the world...but this is reality for now. I have to keep my eyes fixed on the coming day when Jesus Christ will return. Not only will He judge the world in righteousness, but all those who trust in Him will be taken to live with Him for eternity - and there will be NO MORE pain, suffering, grief, loss, evil, sin or death!
This is the light in the darkness - the candle of hope in a dying world.
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