Seventh Sunday after Easter Yr C (Acts 16:16-34)  05-16-2010

Nearly 20 years ago, Steven Spielberg introduced many people to the story of Oskar Schindler in his dramatic and powerful movie, Schindler’s List. The movie tells the story of a businessman who saves hundreds of Polish Jews from the horror and almost certain death of the concentration camps of the Nazi regime. But the fact that Schindler saved hundreds of Jews is actually the end of the story and not how the story begins. In the beginning of the story, Oskar Schindler set out only to establish a factory that he hoped would be a successful business venture. He began hiring workers for his factory and in an effort to make the greatest profit he hired people who would accept the lowest wage…and the Jewish people of Krakow were paid the lowest wage. His factory was run and staffed by Jewish workers and throughout the difficult days of World War II, things began to change between Schindler and his workers. Unexpected events occurred and gifts of unexpected grace entered their lives and changed their futures. Unexpected grace would change the lives of hundreds of Jews. And unexpected grace would forever change Oskar Schindler. Unexpected events point us toward the grace that is present in our lives, but sometimes comes to us in unexpected ways. Continue reading →