Bearing Witness: Stories of Martyrdom and Costly Discipleship // Book Review

Bearing Witness, edited by Charles E. Moore and Timothy Keiderling, is a collection of 36 stories about different men and women who were persecuted and/or died for their faith in Christ. All through the book I kept thinking, "I don't know if I could do that." One woman, as she watched her fellow Christians die by being burned at the stake, stepped forward to join them! 

Agathonica was moved by the devotion of the two martyrs. She

recognized God's glory in their actions and, though she was the

mother of a young child, she felt called to step forward and join

them. From the midst of the crowd she shouted, "This meal has

been prepared for me. I must partake in it. I must receive the meal

of glory." 

She willing volunteered to die! I do not think I could or would ever do that. It is incredible.

Another story that really stood out to me was that of Sarah Corson. She told her persecutor that she would die loving him, because God loved him. The man could not believe it and Sarah said:

"You can prove it, sir. I know you came here to kill us. So just kill

me slowly if you want to prove it. Cut me to pieces little by little,

and you will see you cannot make me hate you. I will die praying

for you, because God love you and we love you too."

It is not humanly possible to make such a statement. That was God. It blew me away! All the stories, from Stephen to Christians in Nigeria, are an incredible testimony to what people are willing to endure for Jesus. They really make you think and hope that, if faced with the same situation, you would do the same thing. 

Although the book was compiled as an Anabaptist project, and many of the people in the book were Anabaptists, there is almost no theology brought up. When I started reading the forward and realized that it was from the Anabaptist heritage, I was a little worried. Would there be a lot of theology that I would disagree with? But no, the only time anything is mentioned is when the people would be questioned by others and accused of heresies and were defending themselves. All this to say that you don't have to be Anabaptist to appreciate this book. 

It's inspiring to read about so many people, all throughout history and all over the world, who withstood unimaginable pain and suffering in the name of Christ.