Wednesday November 29, 2017
Since the beginning of the Church, there have been hundreds of thousands of Christian martyrs. Reading their stories is an exercise in emotional resilience, for nearly all of the stories are filled with details of unimaginably gruesome torture. How on earth they went through such torture and pain, one may wonder. However, story after story attest to their calmness, fearlessness, and even serene joy during their final moments. Some of them spoke kindly to their executioners, others cracked jokes, and still others spoke words of encouragement to the people gathered. Indeed, history confirms that several of their executioners were converted by their spiritual resilience. I once heard this story: a Communist official, who had supervised the execution of many Christians, went to a pastor and asked: “I’ve seen many of your people die. The Christians die differently. What is their secret?”
Christians die differently because they die in hope. Their secret is the assurance that their heart’s Beloved would be there with them in their final moments. And Jesus, as promised, gives them the right words and wisdom to share with their executioners and the gathered assembly.
