We heard the story of Edith Cavell, an English nurse in Belgium at the time of the German invasion during WWI. Edith helped soldiers to escape German capture. She was arrested by German soldiers, imprisoned, court martialled and executed. Her hope in Christ inspired her imitation of Christ, and she stated as she went to face her death, that patriotism was not enough: 'I must have no hatred or bitterness toward anyone.'
Dietrich Bonhoeffer also found himself on the wrong side of the German army, though this time he was a German church leader opposing the Nazi regime, and pleading the church to do the same. He chose to stay in Germany rather than leave, to suffer alongside his fellow German Christians in order to have integrity in the rebuilding after the war. Bonhoeffer did not get that chance, killed by the Nazis in the final days of the war. His courage, positivity, and trust in the closeness of God comforted and inspired his fellow prisoners during his 18 months of imprisonment.
Martin Luther King's story is well known. His call to non-violent protest for the civil rights of African Americans during the 1960s put him in opposition to fellow African Americans, his demand for civil rights put him in opposition to much of the rest of America. But his knowledge of the love of God gave him hope for peace in his nation, gave him courage to fight for the outcome he believed would come, risking his life. He too lost his life in pursuit of peace.
Mother Teresa is also very well known for her choice to live amongst the poorest of India and suffer with them. Though she has been well praised for her work, and inspired many to join her in India, or to act with compassion and love and care in other places of need, she has also faced much criticism. She too found her hope and the courage to go on in God.
The final story we heard was of an unnamed Christian publisher in Burma, who is being persecuted by the junta. Their wish is for all religions to be eradicated from Burma, bar Buddhism, and many Christian churches, schools and orphanages have been forced underground. It is a costly act of discipleship for the Christians in this land. But as this publisher says, people are yearning for the word of God, and having found his hope in Christ, he feels he can do no other than to work for Christ, live for Christ.
These stories demonstrate that deep hope and trust in God, in Jesus Christ, insists on being lived out. May we all have the courage to act on the hope we find in God this Christmas, and every day.
The stories were sourced from Gordon Brown's book Courage: Eight Portraits, Becky Benanate in Legends: Women who changed the world, the vatican site, wikipedia, voice of the martyrs, and the site of the Anglican church in Melbourne.
