A Congress of Compromise
One by one, the priests and pastors of Romania stood and offered words of praise for Communism and declared their loyalty to the new regime. Their statements of unity, propaganda for the Communists, were broadcast to the world over the radio, direct from the Parliament building. It was a year after the Communists had seized power in Romania. The government had invited all religious leaders to attend a congress at the Parliament building – over 4,000 attended.
First, they chose Joseph Stalin as the honorary president of the Congress. Then the speeches began. It was absurd and horrible.
Communism was dedicated to the destruction of religion, as had already been shown in Russia. Yet bishops and pastors arose and declared that Communism and Christianity were fundamentally the same and could coexist. Out of fear, these men of God were filling the air with flattery and lies. It was as if they spat in Jesus Christ’s face.
Courage Against the Tide
Sabina Wurmbrand could stand it no longer. She whispered to her husband, “Richard, stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ.” Richard knew what would happen: “If I speak, you will lose your husband.” Sabina replied, “I do not wish to have a coward for a husband.” Pastor Wurmbrand took the stage. To everyone’s surprise, he began to reach. Immediately, a great silence fell on the hall. “Delegates, it is our duty not to praise earthly powers that come and go, but to glorify God the Creator and Christ the Savior, who died for us on the cross.”
A Communist official jumped to his feet. This would not do! The whole country was hearing the message of Christ proclaimed from the rostrum of the Communist Parliament. “Your right to speak is withdrawn!” he shouted.
Wurmbrand ignored him and went on. The atmosphere began to change. The audience began to applaud. He was saying what they had all wanted to say but were afraid to. The official bellowed, “Cut that microphone!” The crowd shouted him down. “The Pastor, The Pastor, The Pastor!” they chanted. The shouting and clapping went on long after the microphone wires were severed and Wurmbrand had stepped down. The Congress ended for the day.
Kidnapped and Imprisoned
After this, Richard Wurmbrand was a marked man. On Sunday, February 29, 1948, Pastor Wurmbrand was on his way to church when he was kidnapped by a small group of secret police. He tells what happened next:
“I was led to a prison thirty feet beneath the earth where I was kept in solitary confinement. For years, I was kept alone in a cell. Never did I see the sun, moon, stars, or flowers. Never did I see a man except the interrogators who beat and tortured me. Never did I have a book, never a bit of paper. When after many years I had to write again, I could not even remember how to write a capital D.
To make the feeling of isolation worse, the prison was kept completely silent. Even the guards had cloth shoes so their steps could not be heard.
“When we were first put in solitary confinement, it was like dying. Everyone of us lived again his past sins and his neglect of duties. We all had an unimaginable pain in our hearts thinking that we had not done our utmost for the Highest, for the One who has given His life for us on the Cross. “I was in the depths of this remorse and pain, when suddenly, the wall of the jail began to shine like diamonds…”
To Be Continued…
Date: 15th July 2023
Martyr: Richard Wurmbrand
Location: Romania 1945
Source: Jesus Freaks
Author: DC Talk and The Voice of the Martyrs
Suffering Saturday 048
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