Light of Grace

The days were dark in Holland when grace showed up at Barteljorisstraat 19,Haarlem. Casper TenBoom lived above a watch shop in a building that had been in his family sense 1837. Casper could not sit on his hands as the Nazis continued to genocide a people. Knowing full well the consequences, he and his family housed 6-7 Jewish people and 2-3 members of the Dutch Underground in a small room which was located behind a false wall above their apartment. In 1944 the Gestapo learned of the TenBooms effort and took the family into custody. Corrie TenBoom was the only one of her family to survive the death camps. This story is well documented in her book, “The hiding place."

Their story is a reflection of grace. At their on risk they bestowed favor on people that had no other place to go. Their home became a refuge for the homeless. In all over 800 Jewish people were saved during the Nazi occupation, by the gracious effort of the TenBooms and others like them. Grace recognizes no boundaries and never counts cost. It looks through the darkness bringing with it a light that is not of this world.