The book “Appeasement” by Tim Bouverie details how in November 1937, Viscount Halifax, the British foreign secretary, had a meeting with Adolf Hitler. After the session, Halifax thought the meeting to be a success and reported back to the prime minister, Neville Chamberlain: “Unless I am wholly deceived… Hitler was sincere when he said he did not want war.”
Unfortunately for Chamberlain, this misjudgment turned out to be one of the greatest mistakes of the century. Initially, they viewed the newly appointed German chancellor, Hitler so vulgar as to be harmless. One British paper described him as a “stubby little Austrian with a flabby handshake, shifty brown eyes, and a Charlie Chaplin mustache.” Unthreatened by his look and demeanor, they never imagined the evil which lurked within.
Combine this with the recent traumatic memories of World War 1, and the British leadership chose to respond with a delusional approach to the situation, appeasement. Despite blatant aggression and murderous acts by Hitler, Britain continued to exercise willful denial.
In the end, the British rulers’ deep desire for peace was not the reality, and the rest is history. Eventually, they entered the war by force at the cost of millions of lives. All for not recognizing the enemy for who he was.
Daily Directive:
Answer and Journal the Following
Read:
Read and meditate on John 8:42-47 for yourself.
Pray:
How do you know if things come from God or Satan, the enemy? Be real; be honest.
Meditate / Make It Real:
Create a plan of action to how you will identify the enemy when he presents himself before you. More importantly, how you will respond. Be specific.
Share / Show:
Share this with a fellow brother and have them hold you accountable.
