Randy Suits

The Real Üntermenschen (Sub-humans)

Eve my sweetheart,

Antoni and Antonina struggled each day for sufficient food to keep body and soul together. From the beginning of the Nazi occupation food was forcefully confiscated from the Polish people for Nazi benefit. The Germans needed massive amounts of food to wage wars on two fronts and the German fatherland had insufficient farmers to feed the country. By mid 1941, the German minority in Poland received 2613 calories per day while Poles received just 699 and Jews in the ghetto received 184. To supplement the meager rations allotted to them, the Poles depended on a black market and smuggling for food. Both were crimes punishable by imprisonment or instant execution. German authorities considered both Jews and Christians üntermenschen (sub-human) and targeted for extermination and slavery. There was an increase in infectious diseases caused by insufficient food rations. In addition to 2.3 million non-Jews killed through the war in Poland another 473,000 perished because of harsh conditions and malnutrition. 3,000,000 Polish jews and 3,000,000 Polish gentiles were exterminated in Poland during the war. The 3 million Poles who lost their lives were the forgotten holocaust. Reverend Jan Januszewski said, “The world rightly knows what happened to our Jewish brothers and sisters, but it knows so little about us. We should not be forgotten.” Through wise management and the sale or barter of shoes which Antoni made at home each evening, they were able to buy enough food to remain healthy. In addition to the dangers of moving about on the streets of Krakow, the threat of malnutrition and disease increasingly touched every family. In mental, physical and emotional stress or agony, God strengthens the spirit, restores the mind and fills the heart with peace. Antoni and Antonina found peace in the midst of the war in the comfort of their tiny apartment and in the arms of each other. To be in love in the midst of war. Oh how human! The suffering, oppressed Poles (Jew and Gentile) were super human during the turbulence and trial of the war when they were attacked from two sides and trapped between two enemies from the east and the west. The real üntermenschen (sub-humans) were the Nazis and communists who considered themselves superior. Men who murder and seek to destroy entire nations defy the Most High God. Only in weakness can one destroy life. It is always the weak who seek to destroy the strong. Any concept, ideal, government or worship form requiring forceful change that is against the will of God or man is anathema  to the Most High God. Our God, who could have made us robots acceding to every  eternal law of His universe, decided to give men a free will (IMPORTANT – the will is a decision making instrument) to decide for themselves whether to live with, in and for God in Christ, or to die (perish from the earth). God gave us the decision to live or die. Life or death is a decision, not a choice for even the hopelessly lost choose life over death. But decisions determine choices. Choices ase a sub-set of the decision which makes them available. In the Garden of Eden, the devil presented his temptation as if it was a choice. Eve was deceived because, in the excitement of the moment, she  viewed her action as a choice. The real fall however came when Adam, with his spiritual eyes wide open, willfully decided to listen to his wife and defy/disobey the eternal, unalterable law of the Most High God. (Adam was not deceived!) To Live or to die is a decision not a choice.  (You cannot snow ski if you decide to live on a beach front at the equator). In its lowest and highest common denominator, LIFE IS GOD and GOD IS LIFE! To hate men is to hate God our creator. Antoni and Antonina made a willful decision to serve and obey God. They decided to think, act and walk in the life giving choices of that decision. Because they stood firm in their decision to walk in holiness, righteousness and truth, God led them safely through the flood of affliction and the Nazi fires of hell.  It is written in Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” Again it is written in Isaiah 59:19, “When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of God will raise a standard against him!” God is great! God is Good. God is Love! Let us celebrate Antoni and Antonina for the love that they shared in the hell of war. They chose life because they decided to stand with God Most High in his life-giving principles. Glory to God in the highest and peace to men of good will! The foundation of their marriage was laid in the principles of All-mighty God and they endured, persevered and overcame every obstacle in their lives.

Let us overcome like they overcame in the Power of Jesus Christ, Kochany