Have you ever considered the consequences of denying the evil that exists in our world? Throughout history, people have chosen to bury their heads in the sand or seek pleasure, instead of doing what they could to solve society's problems. The Germans who lived in the economically-depressed Berlin of 1929 were encouraged to "leave their troubles behind" and eat, drink and be merry at nightspots and cabarets. They chose to blind themselves to the growing power of the Nazi machine. Most Germans never imagined that the steady encroachment of a new philosophy could result in atrocities of such magnitude. In the initial stages, they saw only what they wanted to see—that Adolf Hitler was a charismatic leader, almost hypnotic with his promises to restore the German pride and economy. The consequence of this blindness was the extermination of millions of their German countrymen.
In the years since 1930, our world has not become immune to the social and political ills which plagued Berlin. We may not feel affected by the terrorism, anti-Semitism, racism and famine which we see on the 6:00 news; we may feel inclined to put our blinders on securely, in the belief that these tragedies will never touch our lives. There is, however, a hope for the future, to which every generation has clung. It is the hope that we see in the bright face of our children. It is up to each of us to decide how we want to live and teach the next generation. We can decide to begin now in some way, or we can do like Herr Schultz in Act II, Scene 2 and simply pull down the blinds. The choice is ours. Is life nothing more than a cabaret, old chum?
Presented through special arrangement with Tams-Witmark Music Library, Inc.
