Lena went into the barn to fetch her bicycle. “I’m going into town,” she told Pieter.

“Now? What for?”

“I need to find out what’s going on, where the Nazis are staying.”

“There’s nothing you can do, Lena.”

“And I want to talk with my father. I won’t be long.” She hopped onto her bicycle and hurried off. Lena found her father in his office in the manse, standing by the window that looked out on the market square. His Bible lay open on his desk. Several crumpled sheets of paper littered his desk and the floor. “Are you writing your sermon, Papa?”

“I’m trying to.” He kissed both her cheeks, then sat down on the edge of his desk. “I’ve been writing sermons all my life, but the task has taken on a new urgency in these precarious days. I see what our country and our community are going through, and it brings me to my knees, asking God what He would have me tell them.” He gestured to the open Bible. “I’m still waiting for His reply.”

“Nazi soldiers came to our farm today. Two on motorcycles and two in a car. They took an inventory of everything we have so they can steal it from us.”

“I saw them in town. They’ve spent the past few days here, looking everything over. I think they went to a couple of other farms besides yours.”

“I feel so violated!”

“I understand. When I saw the motorcycles, my first thought was to thank the Lord that He took your mother home before all of this happened. She was such a gentle, sensitive soul. This would have hurt her deeply.”

“I miss her so much. But she was stronger than everyone thought she was, Papa. I think her response to the invasion would have surprised us.”

“And you’re also much stronger than you think. I know you’re struggling with a great deal of worry and fear right now, and naturally so. Offer it to the Lord, Lena. Let Him be the source of your courage.”

She nodded, her throat tight with emotion. She waited until she could speak. “So what will you be telling us this week, Papa? I’ve never seen our church as packed as it’s been every Sunday.”

“I’m not sure yet.” He paused for a moment. “The Nazis preach a doctrine of hatred, and I’ve always believed it’s wrong to hate. But Proverbs says that to fear the Lord is to hate evil. And Romans says we are to hate what is evil and cling to what is good.”

“Aren’t you afraid people will misunderstand what you’re saying? Pieter thinks there may be Nazi sympathizers among us.”