As Gerecke approached the cell of the first of the Nazi war criminals he would be ministering to he was afraid. He was not afraid for his life, as so many had been because of these men in the last few years. He was concerned that he might not be able to speak the right things to these men (p. 140). Some of that was due to trying to say it in German, some of it was likely a recognition of the difficulties that come to anyone who tries to speak to unbelievers about Jesus Christ.
The first prisoner he was to meet was Hitler’s deputy, Rudolf Hess. Some believed that he was mentally unstable. The judges and attorneys decided to go through with his trial anyway. Klaus Fischer in his book, Nazi Germany: A New History describes the leaders around Hitler. Some, but not all of these men, were ones whom Gerecke would soon be talking to and getting to know. Fischer says, “Hitler’s close followers reflected his tendencies: Göring was a clever sociopath and morphine addict who shamelessly plundered the wealth and possessions of others; Goebbels was a psychopathic liar and cheat who crowned his career by ordering his wife to kill his six small children in cold blood; Ernst Röhm, the SA chief was a brutal soldier of fortune with decided antisocial tendencies; Robert Ley, head of the Labor front, and an alcoholic and a megalomaniac; Hess, his deputy, was mentally disturbed, possibly schizophrenic; Martin Bormann, Hitler’s private secretary and grey eminence, had been involved in the murder of his former teacher in elementary school; Julius Streicher, editor of the pornographic magazine Der Stürmer, was a malignant racist and sexual pervert; Heinrich Himmler, the führer’s SS chief, was a neurotic hypochondriac, self-appointed grand inquisitor, and cold-blooded murderer of six million Jews; and Reinhold Heydrich, Himmler’s right-hand man, was a brutal psychopath who had been cashiered from the German navy for conduct unbecoming an officer” (p. 305).
So with these types of men under his care he was introduced to Hess. And as they meet Gerecke offered his hand to shake and Hess took it. Townsend says, “The act of an army chaplain physically touching a Nazi so repelled Americans that Gerecke was later severely criticized for even shaking hand with the defendants” (p. 140).
Gerecke did this, not disregarding the horror of what Hess had done or any of the other prisoners. He did this because, as he later said, “I was there as the representative of an all-loving Father. I recalled too, that God loves sinners like me. These men must be told about the Saviour bleeding, suffering and dying on the Cross for them” (p. 141).
Hess had been jailed with Hitler and helped in the writing of Mein Kampf. Gerecke invited him to come to the chapel service that would occur that Sunday. Hess said he would not come and also rejected the offer of different reading materials including the Gospel of John. Gerecke looked at this first meeting as a failure (p. 143).
By God’s grace though, not all the meetings went as this first one. As Gerecke came to know the different prisoners, those who had caused so much hurt and destruction, some came to repentance and faith as God used Gerecke to share the Gospel.
So with these types of men under his care he was introduced to Hess. And as they meet Gerecke offered his hand to shake and Hess took it. Townsend says, “The act of an army chaplain physically touching a Nazi so repelled Americans that Gerecke was later severely criticized for even shaking hand with the defendants” (p. 140).
Gerecke did this, not disregarding the horror of what Hess had done or any of the other prisoners. He did this because, as he later said, “I was there as the representative of an all-loving Father. I recalled too, that God loves sinners like me. These men must be told about the Saviour bleeding, suffering and dying on the Cross for them” (p. 141).
Hess had been jailed with Hitler and helped in the writing of Mein Kampf. Gerecke invited him to come to the chapel service that would occur that Sunday. Hess said he would not come and also rejected the offer of different reading materials including the Gospel of John. Gerecke looked at this first meeting as a failure (p. 143).
By God’s grace though, not all the meetings went as this first one. As Gerecke came to know the different prisoners, those who had caused so much hurt and destruction, some came to repentance and faith as God used Gerecke to share the Gospel.