Synopsis:
This children's edition of Richard Wurmbrand's story is clean but keeps the details as vivid as possible. It tells of the time Richard spent in a Communist jail in Soviet Russia in the 50s, subject to various methods of torture and manipulation in order to extract information of his church affiliates and members.
His suffering is not the main theme, but rather his response to each difficulty that presents itself throughout that time is admirable. From sleep deprivation to psychological abuse to beatings and starvation, the persecution was a war of the mind, spirit and body. Death was constantly around the corner - if it was not a quick execution, it would have been a slow deterioration of health due to tuberculosis.
Richard's means of survival was to preach, pray and smuggle the ocassional bible to share. He preached to an audience of one, but sometimes other incarcerated men and women would have the privilege of envisioning an elderly man talking about the Gospel in their cell, in other parts of the world. He preached in morse to neighbouring cellmates too, and later on to groups of dying men in a diseased ward, where he himself awaited death.
Richard wrote imaginary letters to God too, praying for the safety of his family and church... This was in particular his fear, that he might jeopardise the believers and people doing Christ's work. Instead of bending to their will, he led authorities in wild goose chases by providing them names of the deceased or exiled or known informants.
Review:
His persecution and testimony for Christ is what inspired Voice of the Martyrs group. The dialogues were created of the author's imagination, but the events were real, and testimony true.
The book records only Richard's 6 years in jail for the first time. He later spent a second term in jail for the same reason. His time was difficult and called for a lot of courage and love in the face of the people being used by the devil. The fears he had tested his will and faith in God, but it was clear that God was present in the depths of his despair, His handprint unmistakeable. And each step of the way God kept his sanity, which would otherwise have hardened or broken over the course of time and humiliation.
It may have been made up, but it was in Richard's surrenderedness and whole dedication of going back to prison to save more lost souls that tore me up. He had gone through gruelling years that anyone would have been traumatised with. But to desire the salvation of eternal souls over his security and comfort and lifestyle and to pray about it speaks volumes about the God he believes. I cried at that prospect and saw how big of a heart he had for people that I myself lacked greatly.
The highest form of love God demonstrated was to die a criminal's death in Phi 2:6-8 and that was what I saw in Richard Wurmbrand. The uncertainty of lawless, inhumane treatment over a prolonged period of time didn't wear off his zeal for God. His conduct in prison reflected the joy and peace of God, and he was protected by God in many ways nonetheless. This is obedience even unto death and the pastor has set a standard for his church to follow too.
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Philippians 2:6-8
Philippians 2:6-8
