Corrie ten "Whom"?

Over the summer, we’re given a few different books to read to encourage our personal spiritual growth. One of those books is a collection of short missionary biographies. I was so excited to see Corrie ten Boom’s name on the list - Why? 

Although I hadn’t thought of her as a “missionary” at the time, I did a project on Corrie ten Boom in the 8th grade. I remember it because it was the only school presentation I ever did that didn’t make me want to crawl in a hole afterward, and because she was really inspiring to me. I have no memory of why I initially chose her for my project...

• Did I know anything about her to start with?? 
• Did she just have an interesting name? 
• Did I just draw her name of a hat or something? 

I have no idea. But what I do remember is being so excited as I started my research and found out she was a Christian. If you don’t know who Corrie ten Boom is, she was a Christian in the Netherlands during the time of the Holocaust who, along with the rest of her family, worked hard to protect many Jews. They even hid them in their own house, and eventually her whole family was sent to a prison camp for it. Corrie was the only one to make it out. 

I remember being so surprised that they would give up everything for people who did not even have the same beliefs as they did. I wanted to learn so much more about her than my project even required. While in prison, she continued to worship and grow closer to God, encouraging the other prisoners and sharing with them. I was in awe that she could have so much joy in some of the worst circumstances imaginable.

In American schooling, we’re taught so much history of people who suffered or were mistreated. We’re taught about the people who laid their lives down to help. But in my schooling at least, sometimes it seemed to me like they taught us that these kinds of conflicts were just, somehow, over. Maybe because our teachers signed up to teach history with clear winners and losers, good guys and bad guys, instead of having to pain-stakingly explain more complicated current global conflicts to twelve-year-olds? Fair. 

But am I the only one who sometimes left history classes with a new motivation, a new sense of urgency, only to think that there was no work left to do? 

When, in fact, countless people around the world are victims of violent persecution today, and they will be tomorrow. Not to mention beyond that, there are *God only knows how many* people are try to bear their own sin, hopelessness, grief, all kinds of brokenness without Jesus. In every country, province, state, territory, city, town, village, etc. in the world. 

What can we possibly do?

 
As an 8th grader, something that struck me as I researched was how, when Corrie ten Boom either protected or encouraged people, they went on to do the same for others, even if it put their own lives at risk again. 

I didn’t know then and I don’t know now how many people Corrie ten Boom shared the Gospel with in prison or how many people she shared with as she traveled around the world after her release, telling her story. Or how many people shared the same message with others. It’s just not something that can be measured as easily in historical records.

But... it must start with someone. I'm thankful for the opportunities I've had to share the Gospel so far this summer.

-Riley

True Peace for Korea

South Korea