Like many Mennonites, Hutterites, and Amish my grandparents kept a copy of the Martyrs Mirror on their bookshelf. It’s a massive book, over fifteen hundred pages long, so it stood out among the other books, It was first published in 1660. Now 360 years later, it is still available in print in both English and German. The book documents the stories of thousands of martyrs, people who died for their faith in Christ, with particular emphasis on the Anabaptists who suffered violent repression in the sixteenth century. I remember taking the book down off the shelf and reading gruesome stories of people burned at the stake and tortured to death in horrible ways. One of the most famous was Dirk Willems who escaped from prison and fled across a frozen moat. One of the guards pursued him but fell through the thin ice. Dirk returned and rescued the guard from drowning but Dirk was not rewarded for this act of mercy. He was recaptured and the authorities burned him at the stake anyway. Showing remarkable love for their enemies and giving witness to their faith by word and deed, these martyrs refused to recant their faith while also forgiving their executioners.
The first of all these thousands of martyrs catalogued in the Martyrs Mirror was Stephen, the main character in our scripture text for this morning. He is the first person we know of who died for following Jesus. His story told in the book of Acts, and naturally a book like Martyrs Mirror would want to start with his story to connect the Anabaptist martyrs to his legacy.
There are very few martyrdom stories in the history of the Church of the Brethren. We have been deeply influenced by the Anabaptist movement so in that sense, the stories of the Martyrs Mirror are also our stories. Our direct spiritual ancestors were also persecuted for their faith. Religious intolerance was still the norm in Europe in the early 1700s. The early Brethren suffered imprisonment, enslavement, banishment, and fines which was bad enough but they were for the most part spared martyrdom.
So, what do we make of a biblical story of martyrdom? We certainly have connection with Stephen as a deacon. We have deacons in our church and our deacon ministry is modeled after that of the first deacons in the Bible, Stephen being one of them. So we have that connection.
But what do we make and learn from his death at the hands of an angry mob, a kind of lynching? Why are stories like this remembered and told? David Weaver-Zercher set out to answer that question by writing a book about the Martyrs Mirror. David was a member of the First Church of the Brethren in Harrisburg, PA when Nancy and I were pastors there. So that’s a fun little connection for us. In his book, he said, “Martyrs Mirror functioned, and continues to function, as a measure of Christian faithfulness. What does it mean to live a faithful Christian life? Anabaptists past and present have looked to the martyrs, their martyrs, to answer that question.”
So what do martyrs like Stephen have to tell us about what it means to live a faithful Christian life? We might have additional questions to ask related to our generation and context, “what can the martyrs show us about how to be faithful to Christ in the face of racial violence and random violence and polarized conflict?” “What can the martyrs show us about how to respond to the trauma we feel because of the kinds of violence we experience in our time?”
After a week like this, those questions are real. This week brought us news of yet another mass shooting, this time in Indianapolis. We wait with anxiety for jury’s verdict in the trial of Derek Chauvin for the death of George Floyd. In an important book, “My Grandmother’s Hands” by Resmaa Menakem recent learning about how to heal from trauma is applied to help us recover from racialized trauma that resides in our communities and bodies from centuries of racial violence. Trauma is felt differently in Black bodies and white bodies and in what he calls blue bodies, the bodies of police and military. As we await the jury’s verdict in Minneapolis, we know the outcome could easily trigger that deep and unhealed collective trauma.
We are facing an epidemic of violence, racialized police violence and random gun violence. This violence is not directed at Christians per se but more against Black churches, Black men and women, against Muslims, and Asian-Americans, against trans and queer people, and against innocent bystanders in schools, places of work, and shopping centers. Can we add the stories of the victims of this kind of violence to the stories of the martyrs, to see what can be learned? What does it mean to live a faithful Christian life in this world of violence? Do the stories of the martyrs offer faith answers for how to heal from the trauma of living in such a world?
As if setting the stage for Stephen’s story, Jesus said, “When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.” (12:11-12).
Let’s think about what Jesus said as we try to unpack this a bit. First of all, we are learning that trauma represents a heightened state of alertness. Our bodies are wired to respond to danger with a fight or flight instinct. When alerted to danger the adrenalin starts to flow in our bodies, blood pressure is raised, our higher brain functions shut down, and the more emotive, reflexive, instinctive parts of our brain take over. Once the danger is past the body should return to normal functioning. We take a deep breath and move on. But trauma can lock us into this state of alertness so that our bodies don’t return to normal. This interferes with sleep and keeps us in a sustained state of alert and stress which over time harms our bodies and interferes with our best judgment and functioning. Jesus it seems is calling us out of that heightened state of stress. It is not as simple as do not worry or do not fear. But without doubt that message of body calming faith is repeated often in the gospels. Do not be afraid the angels say. Do not worry Jesus says.
How does one not worry in the midst of violence? How can one not be afraid in such a world? If we give in to the fear and worry, one answer is to get even more guns. I was disheartened to hear a report recently about Asian-Americans who are starting to arm themselves in response to the wave of hate crimes against them. In so doing they and we get caught even more in the vicious cycle of violence and fear in which the only solution we seem capable of imagining is to buy more and more guns. The result, of course, is even more gun violence, more suicides, more homicides, and more mass shootings. A heavily armed population makes policing more dangerous, and a police officer with racial bias in this context is extremely dangerous.
Can we turn, instead, to Jesus who knew the calming, healing impact of faith and spiritual disciplines? Growing work in the field of trauma is revealing that fear and trauma responses are carried in our bodies. So body and spiritual practices become a key part of recovery. Breathing exercises, yoga, group humming, drumming, and singing, and other forms of body practice and awareness, along with meditation, and prayer are showing promise of healing releasing the fear responses triggered and locked in place by violence and post traumatic stress.
In light of this, its interesting to remember that one of the ancient Christian prayer forms was the breath prayer. One was to breathe in deeply saying, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God” and then to breathe out saying, “have mercy on me.” Try it with me. As you breathe in pray the words, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.”. Then as you release your breath, pray, “have mercy on me.” I invite you to try that on your own when you are feeling anxious or stressed. Breathe in and out with the words, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” You might change the prayer to “have mercy on us” as you process the news of a shooting or other disturbing event.
Finding ways to connect our bodies with prayer can return us to a place of trust and to the strength of inner peace. We are not alone. The Holy Spirit accompanies us and empowers us on this journey. We entrust our lives and future into the hands of the one who is the resurrection and the life. We see that the martyr Stephen had completely centered himself in faith rather than fear. Throughout his ordeal, it was said that his face was like that of an angel. His mind was focused on heavenly goodness and God’s glorious presence. Healing our trauma is a process, a life journey. Finding refuge in Christ can help release us from a constant state of stress and fear into an assurance of security and safety in our faith.
Second, these words of Jesus suggest that the spiritual security people find in their faith will free them to get into what Senator John Lewis called some “good trouble.” Lewis was a person of great faith with a strong sense of inner peace, who certainly got into a lot of good trouble. The most noted moment of that was his participation in the voting rights march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge from Selma to Montgomery. State troopers were ordered to stop the peaceful march and John Lewis’ skull was fractured when a trooper clubbed him. Years later, Lewis wrote, “do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not a struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.” That quote illustrates much of what Jesus was saying. Spiritually secure people are free to get into some good trouble, to be part of correcting injustice and wrong
Stephen, the martyr, did indeed embody both of these qualities. He had mastered his fear and he got into good trouble. The first trouble he stirred up was with the twelve apostles. He was among those who exposed the fact that the early church was not quite the ideal and perfect community it may have thought itself to be. In chapter 4 of Acts, the church’s self-assessment was glowing: There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Acts 4:34-35
There was not a needy person among them, the church leaders thought. Stephen was part of the group of Hellenists who complained to the Hebrews that it just wasn’t so. There were people in need. The Hebrews were neglecting the needs of the Greek-speaking widows. In this case, making some noise generated a gracious response. The Hebrew speaking church leaders appointed Stephen and six other Greek-speaking folks as deacons to correct the injustice. The injustice was corrected and the church community was better off as a result.
But as we heard, Stephen got into more good trouble. He started preaching as if he was one of the apostles, thus broadening the leadership of the church beyond the twelve. God was clearly with him. Just like the apostles, his ministry was marked with signs and wonders, and powerful preaching, preaching that caused offense and opposition. He was in good trouble again.
In another sermon, we could spend more time reflecting on those who opposed Stephen. They were from a Synagogue of the Freedmen, perhaps they were former Jewish slaves, traumatized by their own experiences of violence. Perhaps, having lost everything they cherished while they were slaves, their fear of losing it all again caused them to cling too tightly to the old traditions. So maybe they felt threatened by the preaching of Stephen who wanted to loosen the exclusive restrictions of the law to make room for others to come and follow Jesus.
Understanding the fears of those who oppose is not to excuse their harmful actions. Its just good for us to develop the capacity to see the humanity of others, even as we work to call them away from the injustices that cause violence. Understanding them does not mean their actions were ok. Those who opposed Stephen made up false charges against him and incited a mob to seize him and drag him before the council. There they charged him with blasphemy and with speaking against the law of Moses. They would participate in stoning him to death.
But before he died, everyone looked intently at Stephen. How would he answer the charges brought against him? Remember, he had conquered his fear. He had taken in deep breaths of prayer. He had invited the Holy Spirit to accompany him and to fill him with the words that would give witness to his faith and hope. So he found freedom in being spiritually secure to share his story, God’s story, even though it would stir up good trouble.
Its an amazing sermon he gave that day, the longest recorded sermon in the New Testament. You might want to read it. Look it up in the book of Acts, chapter 7. He summarized the entire Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament. He told it as a story of God’s patience and mercy to a people who constantly resisted God’s goodness. They rejected Moses. They rejected the prophets.
At the end of the sermon, Stephen accuses the council and his opposition of doing the same. “You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murders.”
I cringe when I hear those final words. This is where the martyrs really challenge us. Wouldn’t it be better to just play it safe? Stephen came down hard on those leaders who were violent in their opposition to him and his people. He was absolutely right in what he said but did he have to drive the truth home so directly and honestly? If he had just softened the message a bit perhaps he could have avoided death at the hands of the mob? It’s so tempting, especially if we are in the privileged position of not being the ones targeted by the violence to stay out of the trouble. Did Stephen handle this precarious situation perfectly? When does our silence or backing away from confronting the causes of violence let the violence go on unchecked? I’ll let you ponder that.
Here is what inspires me. Did you notice how free Stephen was? He was not afraid. He was not intimidated. He had moved beyond fear to faith. Filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. He was secure in his faith and so he boldly named all that was standing in the way of that glory being realized among us.
I think you see with eyes of faith as well. You see what is standing in the way of God’s peace. You see the wrong and you have that vision of God’s glory all built up inside you. So let it be released in you to right the wrongs and seek the good. When you hear news of another mass shooting, or more racial violence, or the violence of injustice, take deep breaths. Pray the breath prayer, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on us.” Breathe and pray that prayer until you find yourself settled once more in the glory and security of God. Let your spirit be assured and filled, breathe it all in, until you are free to engage in some good trouble, to challenge the wrong, and to call forth the good. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy. Don’t forget to breathe. Keep breathing. Now, go. Go, get into some good trouble.
Irv Heishman Is co-chair of the On Earth Peace board and co-pastor of the West Charleston Church of the Brethren in Tipp City, Ohio. He and his wife Nancy were mission coordinators in the Dominican Republic for nearly eight years. This international experience, including Spanish language skills, informs his passion for intercultural ministry and for enjoying mutually enriching relationships with immigrants and refugees. In his spare time, he delights in spending time with his granddaughter and growing organic food in his garden.
What does it mean to be a gathering space for thoughtful and creative reflections on the history, theology, and modern practices of the Church of the Brethren and related movements? Brethren Life & Thought has a long history of working to be such a space. We’re excited to bring our content online through DEVOTION: A Blog by Brethren Life & Thought. Here, you’ll find sermons and other writings from Brethren, Mennonite, and Quaker writers from a variety of theological and social contexts. Some weeks, you might read a piece that resonates with you. Some weeks, you might read a piece that challenges you. Some weeks, you might read a piece you think is heretical. For good or for ill, the Anabaptist and Peace Church movements are remarkably diverse in faith and practice. This blog attempts to expose our readers to the vastness of that diversity – even when it makes us uncomfortable. As you comment, which we highly encourage you to do back on our Facebook page, please remember to do so in light of our membership in the Body of Christ. Let us be different than the world for Jesus truly does invite us to another way of living.