Why Should I be Afraid of the Torturers?
A brother who had been terribly tortured by the Communist
police shared the same prison cell with me and told the
following incident:
I once saw an impressive scene in a circus. A sharpshooter
set out to demonstrate his skill. In the arena was his wife,
with a burning candle on her head. From a distance he shot
the candle so that it fell, leaving his wife unharmed.
Later I asked her, "Were you afraid?" She replied, "Why
should I be? He aimed at the candle, not at me."
I thought about this when I was under torture. Why should I
be afraid of the torturers? They don't beat me. They beat my
body. My "me," my real being, is Christ. I was seated with
Him in the heavenly places. This-my real person-could not be
touched by them. I have lived through the years of enforced
exile with the image of such heroes of faith in my heart.
Now, on my return to my homeland, I again found this same
spirit among the Christians I met.
Wurmbrand, Richard. From Suffering to Triumph! Grand Rapids:
Kregel Publications, 1993, p. 5. Used By Permission The
Voice of the Martyrs
www.persecution.com