The blood of the ... is the seed of the Church

In July 2001, my wife and I went on a 3 week guided tour of Turkey. We landed and departed from Istanbul, a very beautiful city. Our tour covered a lot of distance within the country. One highlight was visiting the locations of 6 of the 7 churches who received letters in Revelation 2 and 3. All in all, we were impressed with the beauty and modernization of Turkey.

I recently heard about the deaths of 3 followers of Jesus on the news here. While the story didn't get much coverage, it was at least mentioned.

Several days ago, a British friend named Paul sent an e-mail containing the text of a letter whose source is the Protestant Church of Smyrna (Izmir). This letter describes the circumstances of their deaths. While it is graphic, it tells the reality of what some followers of Jesus ultimately go through in remaining true to God. Thus, I think that this letter it is a worthwhile read.

One of the martyrs was a 46 year old German intercultural worker and father of 3 named Martin. The other two martyrs were Turkish believers.

The letter said,

"In an act that hit front pages of the largest newspapers in Turkey, Susanne Geske (Martin's widow) in a television interview expressed her forgiveness. She did not want revenge, she told reporters. "Oh God, forgive them for they know not what they do," she said, wholeheartedly agreeing with the words of Christ on Calvary (Luke 23:34)."

In a country where blood-for-revenge is as normal as breathing, many many
reports have come to the attention of the church of how this comment of Susanne Genske has changed lives. One columnist wrote of her comment, "She said in
one sentence what 1000 missionaries in 1000 years could never do." (bold mine)

Their martyrs deaths are just part of the story. What results from it remains to be seen. In any case, we need to pray for the Church in Turkey. Stephen's testimony in dying was part of what touched Saul, later named Paul. May there be many Paul's that rise up as a result of their deaths. And may God touch and encourage their wives, children, and the small Church in Turkey.