In the Water

My maternal grandfather sometimes tells the story of an Anabaptist folk hero named Dirk Willems who lived in the late sixteenth century. One winter he escaped from prison (where he was awaiting trial for his heretical beliefs) and one of his would-be captors chased him over what should have been a frozen pond. The Anabaptist man made it safely across the pond. The ice could not hold the man who was chasing him, though, and the guard fell into the freezing water. Instinctively, Dirk stopped running and went back to help the man who was chasing him.  He chose to save someone else's life rather than save his own by continuing to run. After the other prison guards caught Dirk he was tried and executed for his religious beliefs.

Over the last few weeks Drew and I have been listening to Inglorious Pastors, a series of sermons about pacifism at The Meeting House. 

Part two of this series, The Radical Reformation, tells another story about an Anabaptist man. I no longer recall his name but this man had been tied up and was sentenced to die through drowning for his heretical Anabaptist beliefs - that Jesus modelled pacifism, that baptism should be reserved for adults who understand the commitment they are making, and that one cannot be a truly committed Christian and participate in secular government or the military simultaneously.

This man was tied up and put into a boat. As a third man rowed them out to the middle of the water there was a priest sitting next to this Anabaptist trying to convince him to repent of his heresy. The Anabaptist man spent that time trying to convince the priest that he should repent of his heresy. When the boat reached its destination the Anabaptist man was thrown overboard and soon drowned.

Normally I have little to no interest in sermons but this series has captured my attention. I wonder if my grandfather's story about Dirk Willems will appear in next week's podcast? If it doesn't I will be sorely tempted to email the lead pastor and share it with him.