Isaiah 51 - Closing for Otto Klassen Film - Remembering Russia

Closing Comments

Isaiah 51:1-2

1 "Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut

and to the quarry

from which you were hewn;

 2 look to Abraham, your father,
       and to Sarah, who gave you birth.

Jesaja 51

1Höret mir zu,

die ihr der Gerechtigkeit nachjagt,

die ihr den HERRN sucht:

Schauet den Fels an,

von dem ihr gehauen seid,

und des Brunnens Gruft,

daraus ihr gegraben seid.

2Schauet Abraham an, euren Vater,

und Sara, von welcher

ihr geboren seid.

We have been invited this evening

through the latest film of Otto Klassen

          to reflect on our identity

and our heritage…

just as the people of Israel were invited

by the prophet Isaiah

to stop and contemplate

a part of their history

and their heritage.

It is absolutely essencial for a society…

          a nation…

          a people…

          to stop from time to time

in their journey through History,

and to think about the flow of events

          as they unfold…

          and the impact that history has

          on the present

          and also on the future.

This film is a tremendous gift

to the Mennonite Community.

It documents events that have taken place…

          Events from an era

in our people’s history

          that could be described

          as one of the darker periods

of our history.

These are the stories

          that few people are privileged to hear

          during visits to the seniors

in our communities.

Otto Klassen has always had an interest

          in documenting historical events.

He is a historian and Film-maker.

But more than that,

I am convinced

that he has had a calling from God

to help future generations

remember their history

and their heritage…

God has inspired him with the task

          to bring the story home to us…

          and to point to the rock

from which we were cut.

As a Mennonite community

          we are indebted to brother Klassen,

          who has blessed us

with the gift of remembering,

          and telling the story,

          so that future generations

will not forget

God’s faithfulness to His people.

May God bless us in remembering…

May we honor Him

as we also

entrust our future into His hands.

Prayer