Reflection on Night

Job and Wiesel both went through major physical and emotional ailments and suffering. In both of their situations, they did not know why they were in the situation that they were in. Both of their faith in God was strong. They both lived submerged in God in their everyday life. Job wanted to hold on to his faith because he knew that it was the only way. Wiesel had his dad to hold on to and God was too far away for him to live. Job did not have anyone else to turn to it seemed. Wiesel had his dad to keep him. Wiesel lost all of his faith in his suffering. Job constantly defended his faith. It could be argued that because it was not a mass of people torturing him that it was easier for him to keep his faith. Job and Wiesel both tried to keep to their faith starting out. Neither of them stopped having the will to live. Wiesel might have lost his faith but it is in the will to live that he still made it to see the other side of the horror.

image found at flickr.com : http://www.flickr.com/photos/janodecesare/2961304281/

Holocaust Seminar

It was surprising to find out that the Nazis forced the artists to paint"lovely" picture as postcards to families. Not only did they paint but that they had to lie about how their life was being mutilated. It takes the book "Night" and puts it into a different perspective. Many people know a lot about the Holocaust due to school lessons, books, and movies. It is difficult to put too much emotion or too much of yourself into the facts because of the pain one hears, sees, and feels because of the truth of the horrid treatment of people. People cannot imagine how their own life could be like that without being in that situation. The joy that those artists felt by painting before the ordeal, for lack of a better word, must have been wonderful. I fear to think what emotional trauma they went through. Imagine being forced and more than likely beaten to paint lies just so this cruelty could keep existing. It breaks my heart thinking what they were forced to deal with or at least suffer through. The book itself did not changed for me by learning even more about the Holocaust. For me, the emotional strain of trying to put myself in that person's shoes was hard enough. To try to go any further in that relationship would have been unnecessary for me. I know this, life has terrible things inside, around, and throughout it, but it is dealing with the situations that we live life.

taken by Thelma at the Newtown Battlefield Re-enactment of the Revolutionary War

What views, thoughts, or ideas, did I learn or rediscover for the Book of Job?

The last segment to the Book of Job is "The Voice from the Whirlwind." In 1 Kings 19:11-13 there is a reference about how God spoke many times through power. These verses say this, in the New English Translation of the Bible,

"The Lord said, 'Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord. Look, the Lord is ready to pass by.' A very powerful wind went before the Lord digging into the mountains and causing landslides, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the windstorm there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire but the Lord was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his robe and went out and stood at the entrance to the cave. All of a sudden a voice asked him , 'Why are you here, Elijah?' "

Elijah was use to having God being this powerful being. He spoke to God often and it was always in that strong voice, like the fire, earthquake, and wind. We find out through this piece of scripture that God is also in the quite moments when you do not hear unless you are will, ready, and suppose to hear. Job was the same way. He was use to God directing him and giving him everything he needed. He saw despair come to many "bad" people, but he knew that God was in that power with justice. He never had Him be in a small voice, a whisper. The time during his troubles and agony God was whispering but Job was not ready. He needed to listen to the "silence" understand the true meaning of his pain. It was not until he was that God showed up. The only way Job was able to hear him was with power and force. His agony pushed aside that soft voice making him unable to hear Him. He knew then for certain that there was a God and nothing will come in the way of that relationship.

Conception of God still relevant in the modern world?

What is relevant to any single person is vastly different. The modern world is a very broad term to play around with. Each person has the freedom to make their own opinions no matter if it is spoken or kept within. Many times peoples wants and beliefs become muddled and new opinions form. In "the modern world," each person chooses what he or she believes, which is true from all ages. Job's conception of God is still relevant in today's world. We are all searching for what we believe. We take in our life experiences and as much or as little knowledge as we want to or are able to find. The all-powerful, ultimate God, which Job refers to, is apart of some people today.