Message From A Martyr
October, 2002
When we speak of the early Christians, who faced hungry lions rather than compromise their Faith, we call them Martyrs with admiration. When we describe the Jesuit missionaries who were burned to death carrying the Faith to the Iroquois, we call them Martyrs as testaments to their courage and devotion to God. And when we mention St. Maximillian Kolbe, who volunteered to die by starvation so a father could have the chance to live, we use the title Martyr as a declaration of his selflessness.
But when we speak of someone who stands unflinchingly for the teachings of the Faith regarding abortion in today's American political process, we apply the term Martyr as a pejorative - a condemnation of his stubborn and impractical unwillingness to "accept the political realities" by his insistence on "wasting his vote on someone who can't win."
In the original Greek, a martyr was a witness. He was someone who was willing to sacrifice to stand for a principle or an idea. A witness doesn't know the outcome of his actions; he decides that the principle he advances is worth the cost of his unyielding stance - even if the cost is his life.
The Christians who faced the lions often faced the ridicule of their neighbors before they ever saw the inside of the Coliseum; the neighbors who decided that it was more practical to compromise with the Empire, worship Christ AND the pagan gods of Rome, and thereby avoid death, the neighbors who told them to "be practical" and deal with the political realities instead of throwing their lives away.
But those early martyrs decided that political realities were not as important as eternal ones, and the power of their stubborn and impractical witness to their loyalty to Christ and His Church eventually converted an Empire. They did not know that their horrible deaths would lead to such an outcome, but they valued righteousness over success, and, in the final analysis, received both.
The Jesuits who took the Faith to the Iroquois faced similar hurdles. Everyone knew that the Iroquois were savages and therefore un-convert-able. There were many more peaceful tribes that would readily accept the message of Redemption. It was impractical to waste the time and effort of valuable missionaries on a people whose souls could never be won.
But the Jesuits believed that the Truth is never wasted, and that no one was beyond the reach of Divine Love. And their courageous faithfulness to Christ through incredible suffering, in fact, did convert the un-convert-able Iroquois. They did not know that their deaths would have such meaning, but they chose fidelity over success, and became a symbol of both forever.
Kolbe did the unthinkable. He volunteered to die in place of a man who would probably just be killed later anyway. No practical prisoner would ever do anything so utterly useless as wasting his life in such a way. The political realities of life in a concentration camp demanded that everyone think only of protecting himself.
But Kolbe understood that his gift of selfless Love lit a beacon of Hope in that pit of despair called Auschwitz, and he offered it freely. He died not knowing that the man he saved would survive the war, not knowing that the camp Commandant would convert because of his example, not knowing that his gift of love would inspire millions. Kolbe was a witness for love even when it appeared that his sacrifice would be totally meaningless, and he forever proved that love's gifts are never wasted.
We, too, are called to be witnesses to the Truth. In American politics, that witness demands that we proclaim with our votes that only those who believe in the sanctity of every innocent human life without any exceptions, are worthy to hold public office. Those who answer God's call will also be confronted by practical neighbors who urge us to compromise with the establishment, and settle for the lesser of the evils. They, too, will be advised that it is a waste to spend their valuable votes on someone who cannot win an election. And they, too, will be told that their witness will be totally meaningless. They will hear that they are "just being martyrs".
They are martyrs - they are choosing righteousness, faithfulness, and love over victory, comfort and practicality. They stand as witnesses to the Truth without counting the cost. And like their predecessors they will be hailed as heroes by generations yet unborn.
Peg Luksik is a member of the Board of Advisors for the 100% Pro-Life PAC (PO Box 1601, Havertown, PA 19083) www.prolifepac.com. She is the founder and Chairman of the National Parents Commission. The NPC is a non-profit organization dedicated to giving parents a voice in the public policy arena. National Parents is recognized as an expert in the areas of education and family issues.