Courage

Lights flooded from the vaulted ceiling of the 'Palace of the People', spilling over the red velvet seats and bathing the aisles in a warm glow. On the stage men in high ranking uniforms and finely cut suits stood. Seated throughout the auditorium, four thousand priests, bishops, pastors and ministers from all denominations sat waiting.

Now that Romania had fallen to communist hands, changes were in order.

Near the front of the room, a young man sat listening. His spine was ridged, his eyes fixed on the podium where the Communist leader spoke. Beside him sat his wife, her arm slipped through his, her head resting lightly against his shoulder.

His gaze swept over the room. Young men, middle aged men, old men... they were all listening in silence. He let his eyes move toward the the stage once more. He knew that the event was being broadcasts live over the radios, this 'Conference of Cults' as their new leaders had named it. He turned his attention back to what was being said. In his lap sat a small notebook where he had been scribbling down the new orders. He looked at the ever growing list. No Sunday Schools for children, no unauthorized religious meetings, no evangelistic activities. He swallowed uneasily. Twice he had opened his mouth with a cry of dismay on his lips, and twice he had fallen silent when he realized that he was the only one about to speak.

Four thousand Christian leaders and he would be forced to stand alone? Was there not one ally among the four thousand? Perhaps silence was right. Perhaps it was the only way. It was the only way if he wanted to keep his life.

He glanced toward the shadows where dim figures stood. Men unseen, but who's presence was felt by all in the room. Men with guns. Men with power. Men who were ready to crush the slightest spark of rebellion.

All at once he realized that one of the men in the crowd was standing up. He half rose with him, but something felt wrong. What had he missed? The pastor was walking up to the stage. The man shook hands with the communist leader, then moved to the podium. He smiled, but there was something under that smile– a half wince. The pastor tapped the mic, cleared his throat, and began to speak.

The words that came from the pastor were not what the young man had expected. Though, on reflection, he knew he should have. Every word spoken was that of praise for the communist regime and the pastor went so far as to say that communism and Christianity were one and the same. He ended his speech by swearing loyalty to their new leaders. No sooner had he stepped down than another rose to take his place.

As the minutes passed, lines between truth and lies were blurred, and black and white turned to grey. One after another, the members of the four thousand Christian leaders of Romania pledged their loyalty to the communists and their ways.

The young man looked down at the list in his lap once more. No Sunday Schools for children, no unauthorized religious meetings, no evangelistic activities. His fingers tightened into a fist. These men were handing over their flocks to the wolves, opening the gates wide for them to come into the sheepfolds and do what they pleased.

He almost stood, then glanced toward the armed men in the shadows. Throat dry, he remained seated. If he was single and alone he might have faced them. But not with his wife here beside him. Not with their little son waiting at home for his return. What would become of them if he stood?

These men had no mercy. They would arrest him right in front of her. He could be dragged off and forced to face horrors that would terrify the strongest of soldiers. Worse, they might kill him right here with her watching. He shuddered. He couldn't do that to her.

He glanced to the right and saw two other men whispering together. They looked unsettled by what was happening. Further on, a younger man sat with a stunned expression on his face.

None of them stood.

He glanced back at the podium, then looked down. He couldn't watch. He wanted to leave. He wanted to stand. He wanted...

The slender fingers on his arm tightened and his wife turned toward him. "Will you not stand up and wash away this shame from the face of Christ?" she asked softly.

He looked at her, then glanced toward the men in the shadows once more. Slowly he turned to face her. "If I do, you’ll lose your husband. They will kill me."

She met his eyes, her own dark ones swirling with an overwhelming amount of love and affection– both tempered by a flash of determination. "I would rather be married to a dead man than a coward."

Her voice was gentle, but the resolve was hard as steel. She knew the cost, and she was willing to let him go, to sacrifice her joy and safety and the provision for her and her son in order that God's name was upheld.

In that moment, he knew what he must do. It was his choice and his duty to stand, not to see that others stood with him. If he must face this alone, then he must. God would give him courage for whatever lay ahead. All he must do was get to his feet and speak the truth, no more and no less.

Taking a deep breath, Richard Wurmbrand got to his feet.

Richard Wurmbrand (24 March 1909 – 17 February 2001) was born into a Jewish household. He married Sabina Ostler who was also Jewish. They were introduced to Christianity by an old carpenter and in 1938 they gave their lives to Christ and followed Him as the true and promised Messiah. Soon after, they began to work as Missionaries. Following the outbreak of WWII, Richard and Sabina continued with their missionary work while also offering practical support, including rescuing and concealing several Jewish children from ghettos and teaching in bomb shelters. Sabina's parents and siblings were found and arrested by the Nazis. They were later murdered in concentration camps. Miraculously, Sabina and Richard were spared.

The Soviet Occupation of Romania in 1944 saw a significant presence of Soviet soldiers in the country, and soon after the Socialist Republic of Romania was established as a communist state. As a result, the country became officially atheist. The new Romanian communist government, seeking to consolidate loyalty and rein in people of faith, organized a “Congress of Cults.” The gathering was attended by four thousand religious leaders. One by one, in impassioned speeches, these leaders swore loyalty to the government. It was while this was happening that Sabina spoke to her husband, urging him to stand with words that would be remembered for years to come. Her words gave Richard the courage to stand. He went to the podium on the stage and proclaimed to all those listening that their duty as Christians is to glorify God and Christ alone. Inspired by his words, some of the leaders found courage and rose, standing in agreement with Richard, though many tried to shout over him. Richard used his opportunity, but within a short time his mic was cut and the meeting closed due to the uproar. From then on he was a marked man.

He was arrested shortly after and imprisoned under a false name so that Sabina and his friends could find no trace of him. He wrote:

“I was kidnapped, there was no warrant of arrest. The first thing that came into my mind at that moment was, that the words ‘do not fear’ occur in the Bible 366 times, one for every day of the year, including one for a leap year. I had been kidnapped on the 29th February, on a leap year. And I said to myself, ‘What is there to fear?’ and I began to smile. My captors became frightened.

They had to interrogate me and here I was smiling, they thought I had gone mad. They asked why I smiled, and I answered “Because of the promise I have.”
“What is that?”
I answered that the promise I have is from Jesus, that I didn’t have to fear because Jesus is a gentleman: He always keeps His word. Even in the van of the secret police, I was in the hands of the Almighty, and this gave quiet to my heart.”

He was placed in solitary confinement for 3 years, only keeping himself sane by reciting sermons and verses he had memorized. He was finally placed with other prisoners, but during this time he was subjected to brutal cruelty from the guards and interrogators. He later said that "there are not words to describe the pain I went through." Six years later, a Christian working under cover as a member of the Soviet Secret Police found Richard and was able to bring word to his family that he was alive.

Richard began to hold studies with other believers where they prayed and encouraged one another in faith. The guards often harassed them and many times they attempted to silence Richard with physical blows. Yet Richard continued on, and the seeds sown bore a fruitful harvest among those who once declared with brutality mockery that there is no God. Some of these guards turned to Christ and were imprisoned themselves as a result.

After serving a total of fourteen years in prison, Richard was ransomed for $10,000. He was reunited with his wife and son, and soon took his family and moved to America. In April 1965, Richard and Sabina founded Voice of the Martyrs. They continued to live in America for the rest of Richard's life.

His story spread far and wide The story of a young man who risk all in that one moment when the loving words of his faithful wife gave him the courage to stand.