Faithful In Our TIME..
Saluting Modern Martyrs
W
While clearing away a dried bouquet
of flowers, I was caught off guard by a
faded yet lingering glory in them that
had been so beautiful and fragrant
in their prime. It made me think of
the martyrs of our faith as being like
pressed flowers between the pages
of our favourite book.
In February of this last quarter the
Black Peoples of the Americas
celebrated, Black History Month,
a time to reflect on the long walk
to freedom for Peoples of African
Heritage forcibly removed from
their continent and brought to the
Americas as slaves. Having suffered
450 years of systematic slavery and
subjugation their children, born in
the Americas and now emancipated,
consider the accomplishments of
the American Civil Rights Movement
in realising the equality of their
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April - June 2018
foreparents under the laws of the
American States. In remembrance of
the contributions of forbearers who
trail blazed history with self sacrifice
and vision, it is by no coincidence that
these people were predominantly
Christian men and women of every
colour and creed who lived according
to a higher law, that of Love in Christ
Jesus, the Love of Christ for ALL
Humanity!
This is not just about Black History,
It is a part of the history of humanity
we are all brothers and everything we
do as individuals affect the whole.
A tapestry is woven together by
several individual threads and if you
remove one from its proper place,
you compromise the whole thing.
We must finally begin to realise our
intrinsic value and live better lives; for
the greater good, now!
The life of these ordinary people,
some of whom became martyrs
of the Christian faith was spent in
recognition that their life (inclusive
of their talents, gifts, time, energy
and devotion) was not to be spent
wrapped up in self aggrandisement
or in being selfish at all, rather
because of their faith, recognized
that they had an obligation to their
world that they lived in. Today they
are categorised as Non-Violent
extremists because they went against
the popular tide. I ask you then, to
examine their lives and tell me is the
popular will always right? Were they
wrong to have stood up against social
injustice and discrimination? In the
face of opposition they made their
lives count even if unto death.
They believed that their duty was to
repair the ripped tapestry of humanity