Etty Hillesum - Luke 14: 26

Les écrits d'Etty Hillesum. Journaux et lettres 1941-1943 (The writings of Etty Hillesum. Diaries and letters 1941-1943. Complete edition). Paris: Seuil, 2008, 1081 p.

Letter to Han Wegerif and others. Fragment. Westerbork, undated [after August 18, 1943] . (excerpt)
[...] But I can't say that to these young women who have a baby with them, and who will probably be taken to hell by a freight train. And they would say: "You can talk, you don't have a child." But that's really not the point.

There is a word from which I constantly draw new strength. I quote it from memory: "If you love me, you must leave your parents." Last night, struggling once again not to let myself be consumed by pity for my parents, a pity that would totally paralyze me if I gave in to it, I also translated it in these terms: one must not drown in the sorrow and worry that one feels for one's family, to the point of no longer being capable of caring or loving one's neighbor. The idea is becoming increasingly clear to me that love for one's neighbor, for every human being one meets, for every "image of God", should rise far above love for one's blood relatives. Please understand me. I know that people say that this is an unnatural feeling... but I realize that I have too much trouble talking about it, when it is so simple to live. –

p. 898-899