If you’re anxious and worried about the state of the world, you’re not alone. In these uncertain and violent times, people of all ages and from many walks of life are expressing concern and anxiety. Endless wars, child pornography, increased crime, and more slavery than at any time in history. Not to mention uncontrolled immigration and weak borders. These evils and injustices make us angry, as they should.
Evil times are the church’s greatest hour.
But what about the fear and anxiety? How should we respond to them? First of course, we should pray for all those in authority that they will make wise and just laws. Second, we must remember that no matter how bad things get, God is in control.
And finally, we must reach out, not retreat in fear. For evil times present the Church with its greatest opportunities. The light always shines brightest in greater darkness.
Volunteering in immigration centers here in Italy brought this home to us. I don’t want to get into the issues surrounding the immigration crises, but like many, I am opposed to the illegal entry of unvetted people into my country. One of the biggest concerns is the “what if” of the terrorists who might also come in. But how should we as Christians respond to all the troubling situations we face in these challenging times?
The courage of the ten Boom family.
This makes me think of one of my all-time greatest heroes, Corrie ten Boom. She and her family, including her 84-year-old father Casper ten Boom, hid Jews to save them from the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. And always with the threat of “what if” hanging over them.
What if… one of them was a spy, a traitor, or an informer? It could cost them their lives, or at the very least condemn them to a concentration camp.
One day a pastor came to their home, shortly after a member of the underground had brought them a Jewish baby to hide. But babies were the most dangerous of all. One cry and they could all be caught.
They couldn’t keep the baby. Their home was too public, with many visitors. “You live in the country,” they told the pastor. “You can take the baby!”
But the pastor was afraid. It might cost too much. “You could lose your lives for this baby,” he told them.
Papa ten Boom promptly replied, “You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honor that could come to my family.”
He understood that God wants us to respond with faith, not fear. That He has left us here to be His hands and His feet, to show the world who He is and what He is like.
I love history and its lessons, and have always wondered how an entire nation could go as far astray as Germany did during World War II. And I always pray that if I ever see such times I will have the courage and faith to stand against the tide, like the ten Boom family.
Becoming God’s hands, feet, and heart
How can we be his hands, feet, and heart in this complex and frightening time? I don’t want to judge the pastor who went home without the baby. Fear is a powerful weapon, and we never know how we’ll react until we’re faced with the same situation.
But I hope I would have the same reaction as Papa ten Boom. And that, like him, I would respond with faith, love and courage, even in the face of betrayal and arrest.
The family was eventually betrayed by an informant, and they were arrested. The authorities offered to release Papa ten Boom from prison because of his age. But only if he promised not to hide any more Jews. He refused, saying, “If I go home today, tomorrow I will open my door to anyone who knocks for help.” He died in prison just 10 days later.
Corrie ten Boom’s entire family was arrested or sent to concentration camps for their role in saving Jewish lives during World War II. Most were released, but four of them died as a result of their imprisonment. Corrie survived only because she was miraculously released from the Ravensbrück concentration camp due to a clerical error. A week later, women in her age group were sent to the gas chambers.
The ten Boom family was willing to do the right thing no matter the cost. With God’s help, I pray that I would follow in their footsteps.
Visit the ten Boom family museum!
And now, if you find the Ten Boom testimony uplifting, why not take a virtual tour of their hiding place, now an inspiring museum? Simply click here to begin your tour!
Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts… do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Matthew 10:17-20
📷 Image credits: faces; Casper & Corrie ten Boom, used according to fair use standards
Signora Sheila 
4 responses to “Conquering Anxiety in These Fearful Times: The ten Boom Family”
Corrie ten Boom has been a mentor-in-abstentia for decades of my life. I too marvel at the family’s courage and stalwart faith in the face of grave danger. As Papa ten Boom taught his daughters from childhood, God will always supply what we need, including courage, when the time comes. That promise certainly held for them; it will hold for each of us. I am counting on it! Any courage I could muster myself would surely fail!
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Yes, Nancy, I think Papa ten Boom must have been a remarkable man. I don’t know if you’ve ever read Corrie’s book “In My Father’s House.” But it offers so much insight into the family. After reading it, it seemed natural that they would all have such courage and stalwart faith. The entire family was amazing!
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Thank you for this timely post. I have been struggling with anger over what evil one coward with a pickup truck can do in minutes and wondering why. This does put things in perspective and reminds us that we will not know the why of things but can have a role to play like the Ten Boom family. Thank you also for this virtual tour. I have never seen the actual photos of these places. New Year’s blessings to you.
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I’m glad it helped, Pete. The ten Boom family has always been a help and encouragement to me in such times. Like them, I do not understand. But they also remind me that perhaps we too have a role to play, and can help, at least in some small wlay.
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