Ending Well by Rose McCormick Brandon

 In his small but terrifying book, Night, Elie Wiesel writes of life in a concentration camp. He tells this story of a young Polish violinist, Juliek.

Near the end of the war, breathless for the allies to break through and rescue them, Jewish concentration camp inmates were herded for miles. Starved, frozen, these men who had eluded crematoriums, some for years,  died by the tens of thousands on the snow-covered fields of Germany.

Survivors of the journey arrived at Buchenwald, a concrete graveyard. Men stacked their broomstick bodies like kindling to warm one another. Wiesel and his father were in that pile of dying humanity.

From beneath him, Wiesel heard a violin playing a Beethoven concerto. The music came from young Juliek. During years of persecution, he'd protected his treasured violin.

"The darkness enveloped us. All I could hear was the violin. Juliek was playing his life. His whole being was gliding over the strings."

Wiesel fell asleep to the music. When he awoke Juliek was dead, the body of his violin crushed.

"How could I forget this concert given before an audience of the dead and the dying? Even today, when I hear that particular piece by Beethoven, my eyes close and out of the darkness emerges the pale and melancholy face of my Polish comrade bidding farewell to an audience of dying men."

Juliek's music soothed the souls of the dying.

With his final bit of strength, he gave.

A few days later, allied soldiers arrived at the gates of Buchenwald. Rescuers. 

Sometimes in the midst of hideous happenings, a bird sings, a baby giggles, the sun pierces the clouds.  Like the violin of Juliek these remind us, in the midst of human suffering, that beauty still exists. That God is still on His throne and that He moves in human hearts.

Juliek used his last bit of strength to bless others. He ended well. Many don't end well. (Often we see this in the visible and privileged.) Some use their last bit of energy to vent, rage and avenge. They leave a legacy with an unpleasant odor. 

Ending well is supremely important for the Christian. For inspiration read the story of Caleb (Joshua 14).

Make a commitment to end well.

Note: Elie Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. 

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Rose McCormick Brandon lives in Caledonia, Ontario with husband Doug. An award-winning personal experience and inspirational writer, Rose contributes to denominational publications and devotionals. She writes and teaches Bible Studies, authors biblical essays and is the author of the Canadian history book, Promises of Home – Stories of Canada’s British Home Children. Her book, One Good Word Makes all the Difference, contains stories of her personal journey from prodigal to passionate follower of Jesus. She is the mother of three adult children and grandmother of four.