Walking into his cell in Aushwitz is unforgettable. Here is a taste from: http://auschwitz.dk/Kolbe.htm
The deathcamp Auschwitz became the killing centre during WWII where the largest numbers of European Jews were murdered by the Nazis. One Christian man who died here became a martyr to the truth of evils of Nazism - a true hero for our time, a saint who lived what he preached, total love toward God and man ...
Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who died as prisoner 16770 in Auschwitz, on August 14, 1941. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the Nazis selected 10 others to be killed by starvation in reprisal for the escape. One of the 10 selected to die, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry: My wife! My children! I will never see them again! At this Maximilian Kolbe stepped forward and asked to die in his place. His request was granted ...
As moving as Kolbe's sacrifice was and a reminder that those who are secure in the salvation and hope found in Jesus, it pales to when if is your own personal salvation and hope. You move from a spectator to a player on the field of life. Following Jesus is not about church going to check off a "duty" or practice on Sunday. It goes beyond helping widow, orphans and the needy. It isn't about religion, a title, or a platform to judge.Jesus
