Loving His Enemy

On Sunday, May 27, 2001 I served as liturgist at the Lancaster Church of the Brethren. I also designed the service. As part of that service on Memorial Day weekend, I read the following story. It is an example of the stories of steadfastness that are important to remember as we meet our own trials in life. I hope you will be inspired by this example of "Loving Your Enemies," which Christ taught us to do. Let me apologize to my Catholic friends for the strong language concerning the papacy. However, times were much different in the seventeenth century. We cannot change history. However, we can now live in mutual respect, love, and peace with each other. We should learn from history, but not hold grudges from the past. What follows is a script of my presentation:

This morning I would like to lift up a memorial to the faithful in the Christian church that has been considered by many in the Anabaptist tradition to be second only to the bible in its importance as a record of that faith. That memorial is the book entitled “Martyrs Mirror.” The book was written by Thieleman J. van Bracht of Holland in 1660, and is still highly revered by the Amish and Mennonites. The book was translated from the Dutch into German early on, and was printed at the Ephrata Cloisters. It was first translated into English in 1886. I would like to share with you one story from the many in this extraordinary book. The language is rather strong, but considering the suffering these people endured, I think that is understandable.

The following is a quote from Martyrs Mirror: “In the year 1569 a pious, faithful brother and follower of Jesus Christ, named Dirk Willems, was apprehended at Asperen, in Holland, and had to endure severe tyranny from the papists. But as he had founded his faith not upon the drifting sand of human commandments, but upon the firm foundation stone, Christ Jesus, he, notwithstanding all evil winds of human doctrine, and heavy showers of tyrannical and severe persecution, remained immovable and steadfast unto the end.”

The account in Martyrs Mirror includes a copy of the warrant for his arrest. For the sake of time, let me summarize it. Because he confessed that at the age of fifteen, he was re-baptized in Rotterdam, and that he believed in prohibited doctrines, and later allowed others to be re-baptized in his house, he was to be severely punished, as an example to others. Therefore he was condemned to be executed by fire and his personal possessions were to be turned over to the King.

Martyrs Mirror also includes a gory account of that execution. I will omit that account. You can read it for yourself if you like. I placed a copy of the book in “The Gathering Place,” for those of you who are interested in looking at it.

Now, I quote again from Martyrs Mirror. “Concerning his apprehension, it is stated by trustworthy persons, that when he fled he was hotly pursued by a thief-catcher, and as there had been some frost, said Dirk Willems ran before over the ice, getting across with considerable peril. The thief-catcher following him broke through, when Dirk Willems, perceiving that the former was in danger of his life, quickly returned and aided him in getting out, and thus saved his life. The thief-catcher wanted to let him go, but the burgomaster, very sternly called to him to consider his oath, and thus he was again seized by the thief-catcher, and, at said place, after severe imprisonment and great trials proceeding from the deceitful papists, put to death at a lingering fire by these bloodthirsty, ravening wolves, enduring it with great steadfastness, and confirming the genuine faith of the truth with his death and blood, as an instructive example to all pious Christians of this time, and to the everlasting disgrace of the tyrannous papists.”