Tortured for Christ

Fair warning: This is a very difficult post to write and may also be difficult to read.

At least I hope it is.

Richard Wurmbrand, who died in 2001, was a Romanian Christian minister who strove to spread the gospel in Communist Romania at a time when preaching Christianity was frequently met with persecution often including unjust prison sentences, torture, and death.

After spending 14 years in prison and undergoing countless hours of ridicule and physical and emotional torture, Wurmbrand was ransomed and released for $10,000 in 1964. At this point, he left Romania (at the urging of church leaders) and traveled the world as the voice of the underground church.

Wurmbrand would also go on to form the organization The Voice of the Martyrs, a group that thrives to this day and works to provide aid to persecuted Christians throughout the world.

Every month or so I receive a newsletter from The Voice of the Martyrs. And every month or so I glance at it, maybe skim a couple of articles, and then toss it in the recycle bin.

But last night I picked up my copy of Tortured for Christ, a book Wurmbrand wrote that contains an account of what he and other Christians suffered under Communism. I’d like to share an excerpt:

I will tell you just one case of suffering of a family that I know personally. A
brother entered prison on account of his work in the Underground Church. He left
behind a wife with six children. His older daughters of seventeen and nineteen
could not get a job. The only one that gives jobs in a Communist country is the
state, and it does not give jobs to children of “criminal” Christians. Please
don’t judge this story according to moral standards; just receive the facts. The
two daughters of a Christian martyr – Christians themselves – became prostitutes
to support their younger brothers and sick mother. Their younger brother of
fourteen became insane when he saw it and had to be put in an asylum. When years
later the imprisoned father returned, his only prayer was, “God, take me to
prison again. I cannot bear to see this.” His prayer was answered and he was
jailed again for the crime of having witnessed for Christ to children. His
daughters were no longer prostitutes, as they received jobs by complying with
the demands of the secret police – they became informers…Don’t just say that
this is ugly and immoral – of course it is – but ask yourself if it is not also
your sin that such tragedies occur, that such Christian families are left alone,
and are not helped by you who are free.

Ouch, that one stung.

From Adam