Book Review: The Hiding Place

I love reading. This shouldn’t surprise you considering the times I’ve talked about some of the books I’ve read. As a personal challenge however, I had an idea. Several people I know also enjoy reading so I thought we’d swap books. That is, the challenge is they would give me a book that they’d like to see me read, and I would, in turn do the same.

It’s a good idea for a couple of reasons. One it helps you to broaden your horizons, and two, it provides others with an insight into the things that you find interesting or fascinating. Late last year, I exchanged books with my aunt. I gave her one of my favorites, which was a biography on Johnny Cash, and in exchange, she gave me an account of life in Holland during World War II called The Hiding Place.

To begin, it took me several months to read this book. Not because it was difficult to read mind you. Actually, if a person were to really dig in, they would be able to read it in a couple of days, if that. But, given how my mind works, I wasn’t really in the best frame of mind over the winter to really dig into it, and given the account, you really had to be. My fault, to be sure, but I did finish it, and highly recommend it to you.

The Hiding Place is an account of life in Holland just prior to, and during World War II. It’s told from the perspective of Corrie ten Boom, a middle aged woman living with her family and extended family. Corrie discusses life in the town she lives in Haarlem, and her family runs a watch shop. There, her aged father builds but mostly maintains watches for the people of the town. They are a Christian family, and throughout the whole ordeal, Corrie makes many references to their devout faith, which is found especially in her younger sister, Bestie.

The ten Boom family

Eventually, the Nazi’s invade, and life in Haarlem isn’t the same as it used to be. Certain people (feeble minded and Jews) are rounded up on a daily basis and others are threatened to toe the line as it were. However, the ten Boom family will not turn anyone away from their door, regardless of their religious beliefs. This action causes some issues down the line, and eventually they are recruited to work for the resistance. The watch shop (and home which is above it) become a place for people to hide from the SS.

The actual Hiding Place, located in the ten Boom home which is now a museum.

The family manages to get away with this for a long period of time before the Nazi’s come. They arrest the family and take them to several prisons, both in Holland and later, in Germany.

What I found most fascinating about the story was the descriptions of the times. Obviously, life was much different but still, it was possible to make comparisons to life today, and when doing so, I found that, even in that context, I was making comparisons to some things I was dealing with.

Corrie and Bestie ten Boom.

Likewise, the descriptions of the atrocities of the Nazi’s and man’s inhumanity to their fellow men were powerful. Throughout the course, Corrie finds her faith is tested; I would even go as far as to say well past the breaking point. And yet, throughout it all, her sister Bestie carries on an unwavering faith that is almost unbelievable. Strong faith, when put through such horrific conditions is something that is hard to imagine. Bestie’s faith in God and her Christian belief’s do not waver for even a second. At times, it seems as though that is the only thing that keeps Corrie going on, especially through their ordeals in the Nazi prisons.

Imagines of Schindler's List were going through my mind while I read the account, and while I was in the middle of it, I was watching the miniseries Band of Brothers. I had to stop watching for a bit because the story was so powerful, so vivid, and so compelling.

While it has many lighter moments, and bits of humor throughout, The Hiding Place is a very powerful account of life under the Nazi regime and a very memorable account of the power that having faith can do for people who are under such circumstances.

If you get a chance, I would highly recommend it.

In Memory of Tom Sprang

Tom, the year he was given the Cattlemens Service Award.

When it comes to the kinds of people who have a hand in shaping your life, or in their own way provide you with an example as to how to live life in the right way, there can be many. We all have those who have come into our lives and have changed them in fundamental ways. It’s not something that I believe we realize at the time, and many times will take for granted, but that doesn’t mean it is any less so. This week, my family and I lost one of these people.

Tom Sprang has been a family friend I would imagine since long before I was born. I don’t recall a time before knowing he was a part of our lives, as a neighbor and as a friend. When we kids were younger, and Dad would come home from work, he would take us to visit the neighbors and see how they were doing. (In truth, it was to get us out of Mom’s hair for a while but we didn’t know that at the time). Every so often we would visit Tom and his family. Dad would “shoot the shit” as it were and they would both solve all the world’s problems. None of these visits were particularly memorable, but collectively they helped me to get to know Tom and his family.

Tom (holding the box) working at the Steak Barn at the fair.

Over the years, I could see how someone like this could impact so many people. He was a 4-H Advisor with my club, the Lynn Valley Farmers, and through that assisted many members with their projects. Tom worked with the Hardin County Cattlemen’s Association and each year, I’d look forward to interviewing him at the banquet and at the fair to get a recap of the associations fair barn activities. He served on many boards and community organizations and I’m quite certain his impact was felt by many.

The big thing for me though is when our families worked out an agreement for his family to farm on our property. Many landowners’ cash rent these days, but to have your neighbors work your farm, sharing resources and working for the benefit of all, is and will always be a lasting impression on me. One aspect of this though is that the families grew sweet corn each year. We’ll plant a field on our property. Dad would purchase the corn seeds he wanted to grow, Tom would have some, and he (or Scotty) would plant the field. At the end of the summer, it was like a community field, with many of the neighbors coming down to partake. I loved these times.

The community at the corn field.

Tom Sprang left an impression me, and I could tell that it was the same for many others. He had a commitment to Hardin County agriculture, but more importantly, to his family and his community. Would we all follow in his example, many of the problems we face today wouldn’t exist. That is, and will always be his lasting legacy.

Thank you Tom, for everything!

Ignorance & Mediocrity: Our Cross To Bear.

I fear we are on the verge of a complete downturn in the history of human innovation and imagination. The prevailing thought these days isn’t to use your God given abilities to find the answers to questions or solve problems but rather to have others do your thinking for you. This is a tragic development in human history, and I believe it is only going to get worse.

We live in a world that is on the go 24/7. The days of pure relaxation and enlightenment are long gone, and we can no longer appreciate moments because we are constantly moving ahead to the next thing. How can we as a society survive and thrive if we are not challenging ourselves to better ourselves? How can we truly know what it is like to be free when we chain ourselves in ignorance and mediocrity?

I work at a radio station in a small town. Over the past couple of weeks, our community has seen several major events, primarily that which pertains to weather. Years ago, the State of Ohio instituted a Snow Level policy which was designed to demonstrate to what degree of caution motorists should use when traveling out on snow covered roadways. It means nothing, but is designed to give people some insight.

Since its implementation, I’ve discovered that people are using it as an excuse to not think. Rather than judge for themselves the level of caution they should use when driving on snow covered roadways, they chose to let others do their thinking for them. In the last week, I received a call from an individual who was mad (with me for some apparent reason) because snow plows hadn’t been our plowing the snow roadways. He said that he was driving on one of these roadways and almost slipped into a ditch.

There is nothing I could do about this (obviously) but I listened to his call, and casually inquired as to how fast he was going when this happened. He said that he was driving 60 mph because the county wasn’t on a level and he assumed it was safe.

Modern critical thinking at its best.

How did we get here? I’m not entirely certain, but I theorize its roots begin in the notion that we must test schools and students as a method to judge performance. No universal test can be administered which would cover every single individual, but that was the idea. Schools which perform better, receive more funding (odd considering they were doing ok with normal funding) and poor performing schools and educators (at least according to the standards) were phased out.

Now we have a clear understanding of what it takes to succeed today. And in the process, the only thing we’ve lost is our ability to think for ourselves.

Anyone see a problem with this?

Current testing methods teach students to recite back facts and data, and while teachers are instructed to apply those lessons critically, students quickly learn to only memorize that which appears on the test. Passing the test (and by extension the class) is the only driving factor as it’s the only thing that actually counts. The process of learning is at best, a quaint notion.

Funny thing is though, when you look back at all the great minds, individuals who have impacted history and those who are living today, ask yourself, did any of them get to where they are by simply parroting back facts and data or did they challenge themselves to better themselves?

The world is full of mediocrity, but that which defines our lives is that which chooses to not live according to societies whims. In order to truly impact the world, you must step outside of it. In order to truly innovate, you have to try new things, ideas, methods, and not be stuck in the same tired practices.

During the American Civil War, technology allowed arms to be fired more accurate but men were still massed in battle lines charging into enemy guns. As a result, many more men were killed in battle than had ever happened before in American history.

One of the things I’ve dealt with over the past ten years is a constant fight with complacence. We are comfortable where we are, and consequently we treat all change as a fight against our values. We cannot accept a fate which leads to an unknown because we’ve become complacent in our lives in the here and now.

The modern, technology crazed world we live in takes all emotions thoughts and issues then magnifies them to extreme levels, so this problem is in fact smaller than we may believe it to be. But still it is imperative that we recognize it is happening, if only to save ourselves from ourselves.

Clearly, all these guys were just going along with the flow.

Challenge the status quo, accept and embrace change, be cautious but also open minded, and don’t let a fear of the unknown prevent you from fully realizing your potential. The difference between a leader and everyone else is that the leader was the only one with the stones to put themselves out there. Ask yourself, would you do the same?