I WONDER if you would be willing to stand up for what you believed in?

There have been some high-profile cases recently of Christians going to the European courts because of their beliefs.

Two of them were upset because they were not allowed to wear crosses at work.

During Holocaust Memorial Day recently, many of us were thinking of a whole culture that was persecuted for its beliefs.

Far from being refused permission to wear a faith emblem, Jews under Nazi rule were forced to wear yellow stars to show who they were.

Today, many Jews treat that symbol as a badge of honour, for it is the sign of one of their greatest historic heroes – the Star of David.

I shall never forget standing in the Holocaust Museum in Israel, and listening to the names of children being read by candlelight.

Amidst so much horror was so much heroism that shouldn’t be forgotten. Ponder these words attributed to Martin Niemoller: First they came for the communists and I didn’t speak out as I wasn’t a communist.

Then they came for the socialists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists and I didn’t speak out because I wasn’t a trade unionist. Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak for me.