In the May issue of Chosen People Ministries' newsletter, Dr. Mitch Glaser said of the Holocaust that God's grace is sometimes hidden in the midst of life's greatest difficulties. His reasoning is that God is best seen in situations where one would not expect to see Him.
When things go well, we are often blissfully unaware of God's presence. We start taking His blessings for granted. The post-Christian West is a perfect example of this. Throughout history, Christians have been fed to vicious animals, coated in wax, crucified, stoned, hung, burned at the stake, thrown from great heights, our brethren suffered all of that, and rather than compromise doctrine or cry about it, they have blessed their enemies and given God all the glory. But here? Here we're so shaky about the Gospel that I confess that even I am not so vocal without the aid of my keyboard.
When we suffer, God suffers with us. When Lazarus died, we are told that Jesus wept. Jesus, not only being God in flesh, but also knowing that He was about 5 minutes away from raising Lazarus from the dead, wept because Lazarus had died. Do we imagine God is indifferent to our suffering? The God who cares if a sparrow falls to the ground turns a blind eye to our tears? Far from it. Suffering isn't something God doesn't care about, it's a birth pain. A temporary trouble that brings lasting joy.
Needless to say the Holocaust is a blight on human history that we really could have done without. On this side of the void, we may never fully understand why God allowed it to happen. But if a Jew, like Dr. Mitch Glaser, can say that it reminds us that not even death and destruction can separate us from God, surely we can take similar comfort in knowing that He is present in our significantly lesser struggles.