When Darkness Reigned and Light Was Barely Visible

WHEN DARKNESS REIGNED AND LIGHT WAS BARELY VISIBLE is a thoughtful reflection on the Second World War, through the lens of the son and grandson of a WWII survivor. The grandfather, Marcus Heller, was nineteen, Jewish and living in Poland when the war ignited in 1939. He lost his entire family during the war, but found his way to Russia and the Russian army and was at the Battle of Stalingrad, among others. His journey inspired this book of reflections by his immediatedescendants.

Following an overview of how vast and horrendous atrocities were in World War II, and the incomparable scope of the carnage, this compendium is divided into both the psychological and spiritual implications of the war. While the book focuses more substantially on the war in Europe, it does include many references to the Pacific theatre and the global nature of the war. Its main purpose, and the intention of the authors, is to ask what can be learned -- about human nature and the human condition, and about our relationship to the idea of God and moral and ethical principles.

Here are a few of the hundreds of psychological and spiritual reflections on the war, with an eye toward arousing in readers their own feelings and views:

Children will always wonder why people can be cruel, and we are compelled to tell them there is no single answer.

People can endure horrible challenges and still be resilient. They can not only endure these challenges, but it is possible to prevail over them.

Good and evil are not based in a particular religion, culture or country. They wear the uniforms that suit them, sometimes changing over time. And sometimes they are camouflaged in disguises. It may be easy to spot evil in an SS uniform, but not as simple a task when evil is cloaked in religious cloth or civilian clothes or any uniform worn falsely as a benevolent impersonation.