What Do You Do With That? // Moriah Nelson

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            The moment I finished reading If This is a Man this weekend, I asked, “What do you do with that?” To be completely transparent, this book has been one of the heaviest books I’ve ever read, certainly due to the fact that it is a true account of countless humans’ experiences during WWII. I believe I, we, cannot walk away from this book and remain unchanged. We must not.
So, what do we do? What do we do now that we have read of some of the greatest horrors inflicted on humans by other humans? What do we do with the knowledge that Primo Levi’s account has given us? 
“He has told you, O man, what is good;
    and what does the Lord require of you
but to do justice, and to love kindness, [a]
    and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8, English Standard Version) 
            We seek and do justice, we love to extend kindness and mercy, and we walk humbly with God. This is the overarching answer upon which I have settled. If we continue to live in this manner, as God has commanded us, we will not be passive in thinking on what we have learned from Levi’s writing. Be a voice for the voiceless wherever the opportunity and need arises. Be quick to be gracious and merciful to those around you, knowing they too are made in the image of God. Finally, walk humbly with God, obeying His Word and following the direction of the Holy Spirit to love both God and neighbor.

“What do you do with that?”

I commented on AnnaKate and Caroline's posts.

Comments

Eliza Colbert said…
I appreciate your insight and your encouragement. Something my parents always told me was "Think right. Act right. Feel right." If you think right (i.e. follow God in everything), your actions will reflect that which in turn leads to feeling right. This does not mean we will always be happy but rather that we will respond to situations (both actively and emotionally) in a way that is glorifying to God.
February 10, 2020 at 12:50 PM
Breanna Poole said…
What we get out of what we read is even more important than reading it in the first place. I had a teacher once tell me that no matter what, you will always walk away from a book changed, no matter how small or how large. By reading this book, I believe we have all been changed in great ways -- by reminding us of just how much horror and pain us humans can do, but by also reminding us what happens when we step away from God and let human perceptions and prejudices dictate anything. Our lives should be lived by love, humility, and kindness, something sorely missing from this period of history. I loved your post!
February 10, 2020 at 4:20 PM
Joshua Evers said…
Great Post! Love conquers a multitude of sins, and has proven capable of overcoming countless offenses. After reading this, I have been overcome with a serious humility. My life pales in comparison to the threats and difficulty faced by countless others. Not only that, I should seek to love my neighbor, as chances are they are going through something difficult that I may be totally ignorant towards.
February 10, 2020 at 6:28 PM
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