That tiny bar of soap in the image I posted was made from the human fat of Jewish prisoners who were killed in the concentration camps during WW2. I actually held that bar in my hands 15 years ago. I spent six months working on a photo project with living Holocaust survivors in the Dallas area back in 2010. I will never forget the day Mike Jacobs placed that in my hand and asked me if I knew what it was, and I began to weep and tremble when he did...because I knew exactly what it was.

Most estimates agree that nearly 6 million Jews were exterminated in various Nazi prison camps during the 1930’s and 40’s located throughout Germany and Poland. That is just the number who actually suffered horrific deaths in gas chambers before having their bodies cremated in the ovens that burned 24/7. Clearly, many more were apprehended and eventually survived. I had the privilege to meet a few dozen of them personally, even becoming good friends with one of them.

Were all 6 million of those Jews who died... a bunch of ‘pathetic humans’ deemed not ‘valuable’ enough or worthy enough to live? I’m pretty sure there were more than a few scoundrels in that mix, given what I know about the human condition and human behavior. I believe the Bible teaches us that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God’...and that ‘the wages of sin is death’ (Rom. 3:23; 6:23)...and that “there is none that is righteous, no, not one’ (Rom. 3:12).

But Hitler convinced a nation of people that ‘all Jews were bad’ ...and needed to be dealt with, and oh my... what a ‘test’ that was for that country, Germany, during that time period.

I would hope we could agree that none of us like being characterized with single, broad brush strokes as we are all lumped into one category, simply because we fit a particular demographic. It is easy to do though, is it not?

Take the January 6 ‘incident’ back in 2021, where thousands gathered in Washington D.C. I watched that drama unfold on live TV as many of you did also. I had no problem believing that probably the majority of those in attendance were simply good, decent Americans who had genuine concerns about what was happening in their country...and showed up to express their unified support. Then things turned ugly...fast. To this day, I still believe that the majority of those who were there that day...were not ‘insurrectionist’ ready to burn the country down and hang the VP on gallows that were erected.

I remember some of the ‘narratives’ that followed that day suggesting that there were ‘agitators’ planted in the crowds with only one purpose in mind...and that was to muddy the waters and taint the event in a really bad way. And I would understand the ire and resentment many of those sincere conservative Americans who were there that day, or were in support of the overall event...had being categorized as rebellious insurrectionist.

And yet, when large groups gather to protest other highly publicized events these days, they are quickly labeled to be nothing but ‘hired agitators, misinformed radicals...all bent on destroying our country. I have no doubt...there certainly are a good number of ‘bad eggs’ in those groups as well. Do you see the problem here when we just try to lump everyone into the same...’wagon’?

Someone asked me yesterday in my ‘controversial’ post...if I had any ‘numbers/data’ to back up the ‘untold numbers’ of undocumented immigrants who reside in this country and have settled in by establishing families, businesses, etc., and no, I don’t have that kind of ‘data’. And honestly...I’m just not overly concerned these days with such numbers and policies and such. Frankly, it’s hard to decipher what to believe anymore, these days.

But let me ask you this: “Do you truly believe that every undocumented human who currently lives in this country, are nothing but drug-crazed, violent criminals who were released from prisons throughout Central and South America and sent here to terrorize our country, while the rest are nothing but a bunch of ‘freeloaders’ looking for an easy ride on the back of American taxpayers? I ask that because the way you hear a lot of voices clamoring these days...that’s all they could be, and ‘something needs to be done with them’.

When it comes to ‘numbers’, everything I can find suggest that there are probably between 11-12 million undocumented people living in this country today, meaning they do not have any proof that they entered into this country ‘legally’, or by a legal process. I was surprised to see that number because all I have heard recently is “20 million people came into this country just in the last four years, illegally”, and I just assumed the overall number had to be close to 50-70 million people, so I just don’t even know. But it doesn’t really matter. I have a hard time believing that whatever number that is...they are all nothing but lawbreaking humans that need to be removed as soon as possible.

I also have a problem believing that “all Somalis’ are nothing but ‘garbage’, and if you buy into that narrative...because one person deems it to be so...I fear for you. As a sincere, professing ‘believer’...do you not take exception when you hear folks say that “all Christians are hypocrites”? How is it...that we’ve sunk to such a place that we believe these broad generalizations about any group of people, whether they are ‘democrats’ or ‘blacks’ or ‘Jews’ or (fill in your own blank).

Can we just tap the brakes here for a little bit, and be reminded that the second greatest commandment (law) we believers are supposed to follow...is to ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ (or as Christ loved us). And if you need some help identifying just ‘who is my neighbor’...maybe take a look at the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ found in Luke 15. A certain lawyer asked that very question of Jesus, wanting to ‘justify himself’ with the hopes that he too...could receive eternal life (15:29). And that is when Jesus instructed him to ‘go and learn to show some mercy’ (37). (Matt. 9:13)

Mercy sure is a funny thing for the body of Christ to wrap it’s head and heart around. We sure love it when it’s extended to us, but we seem to struggle when it comes to learning how to ...’go and do likewise’.