Stephen was the first Christian...
Illustration
Stephen was the first Christian martyr, but far from the last. In our day, some of the best-known martyrs are the four American women murdered in El Salvador several years ago. One of them, Jean Donovan, wrote these words, "Several times I have decided to leave El Salvador. I almost could, except for the children, the poor abused victims of adult lunacy."
Those words were written two weeks before she was murdered, along with three other church women, by the state security forces of the country. The words and writings of these four women have been incorporated into a liturgy which also focuses on the deaths of more than 40,000 other victims of oppression in El Salvador. The day of commemoration is December 2.
Some victims of oppression, like Lutheran pastor, T. Simon Farisani of South Africa, are brutalized and tortured for no other crime than saying oppression is the tool of the devil.
IT the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, who can say what new growth God will nourish through their suffering?
Those words were written two weeks before she was murdered, along with three other church women, by the state security forces of the country. The words and writings of these four women have been incorporated into a liturgy which also focuses on the deaths of more than 40,000 other victims of oppression in El Salvador. The day of commemoration is December 2.
Some victims of oppression, like Lutheran pastor, T. Simon Farisani of South Africa, are brutalized and tortured for no other crime than saying oppression is the tool of the devil.
IT the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church, who can say what new growth God will nourish through their suffering?
