Something has been bothering me recently. Something about which I might need to make a stand. It is a small thing, but it has caused me to realize: I am no good at this.
Fear of man is a very real thing, whether it means fear of pain and suffering, fear of being laughed at, or fear of having your friends lose their pleasure in you.
Since I am an author of historical fiction and spend so much time dwelling on the past, almost every other conversation in my life elicits some reference to history. It is not hard for me to draw a parallel between my little dilemma and the great dilemma faced by the church in Germany during the Third Reich. It’s easy to look back and be critical that so few people stood up against the Nazis while forgetting how hard it to make a stand in our own culture. Yet back then, it wasn’t just about going against the flow, but about going against a regime that was oppressive and dangerous.
Most of us are familiar with Dietrich Bonhoeffer, one of the few Christian leaders in Germany who continued to proclaim the truth in the face of the darkness that had consumed their nation. Hitler was a false Messiah that many Christians had enthusiastically received, and one that many others were afraid to speak out against.
As I meditate on these things, I sense camaraderie with the German Christians. Specifically, the ones who opposed Hitler but were too afraid to speak out. If I’m afraid to say something because I don’t want to deal with an uncomfortable conversation, I doubt I would be strong enough to say something if it might land me in prison.
When it comes to World War II fiction, people prefer to read about the brave people who did take a stand. My series started out that way, too, but I quickly discovered that I prefer to write about the ones who struggled. Even the ones like Jake Schmidt who, for years, failed. Why? Because this is reality. This is what the majority of people went through, and I think, if we are honest, it is what we go through on a smaller scale. Thank God, we don’t know what it’s like to live under a dictator, or in a police state. Maybe we get laughed at, shunned or argued with. We might even get “cancelled.” The Christians in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s were dealing with all that, and a whole lot more.
In Hebrews 10:38, God says he finds no pleasure in those who shrink back. These words are not written to condemn us. They are meant to encourage us to look toward the future, pray for boldness, and rely on Him for strength to speak up next time. God goes a step further. In Matthew 10:19-20 (ESV), he says, “When they deliver you over, 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.” If the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the words to say when they stood before rulers, I need to believe that He will give me words to say when I have an uncomfortable conversation with a friend.
I think we are daunted by the belief that we are alone in going against the culture. Why risk my own embarrassment when no one else does? Could the German Church have stopped Hitler if enough of them had stood up together? It is something we will never know. He certainly did not stop loving those who truly belonged to Him, in spite of their silence. He knows human beings are weak—but He also extends the opportunity for each of us to grow in faith and boldness. In the end, He will not ask if we changed the world. He will only look to see if we have been faithful in what He’s given us as an individual. Have we trusted Him to do what He says He will do?
Sparks of romance and betrayal fly in interwar Germany. Where will they land, and what will it cost?
All Jakob Schmidt wants is to play music and marry his childhood sweetheart. Yet this is not the world he was born into. His cousin Friedrich arrives in 1923 and instantly becomes the paternal figure Jakob never had… until his estranged father returns home.
As a child, Emma Vogel promised her heart to Jakob. As Nazi power takes hold, is she ready to keep her vows to the man he becomes?
Germany, 1935.
Jakob Schmidt joined the SS for the pride and prestige of the uniform. Now, all of Berlin lies before him, from career prospects to beautiful women who would like nothing more than to spend an evening in his company. Yet beneath the façade he carries moral injuries he wants no one to see.
Emma Vogel-Schmidt recently exchanged wedding vows with the young man she has loved since childhood. Now she finds herself estranged from him and full of regret. Jakob has given himself wholly to a regime she despises, but she wonders: did she allow politics to sever her from the love of her life?
She finds a lifeline in Christian Richter, Jakob’s former hero and mentor. A faithful friend who is hiding his own secrets, Christian devises a plot to reunite the young couple, and in so doing resolves to face his own demons.
While Jakob and Emma enjoy three years of wedded bliss, Christian finds a new identity as an officer in the swelling ranks of the German army. Will their joy withstand the devastation of war, or will they each be pushed past the breaking point?
After creating stories prolifically as a child, Aubrey experienced a renewed interest in writing as she entered her 40s. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband and three children, and enjoys reading, playing music, crafting, sketching, exploring the outdoors, and traveling whenever possible. She is a lover of Jesus, the Bible, history, German culture, tea, and cats, and has a special heart for those who struggle with severe anxiety and depression.