Advent Calendar 10 December 2009

Human Rights Day

In honor of Human Rights Day and our topic of where we are finding Grace and un-graced places, I have enclosed the following poem by Martin Niemöller (1892-1984). This poem has been quite popular, often substituting differing groups, but this is the version Niemöller preferred. Which groups are used doesn’t really matter; it is the last line that caries the punch. For Human Rights depend upon all of us taking action on behalf of one another.

First they came for the communists,

and I did not speak out – because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists,

and I did not speak out – because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews,

and I did not speak out – because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me –

and there was no one left to speak out for me.

~ Martin Niemöller

Amnesty International is a human rights watch group. You can find out more by following the link to their home page.