March 13, 2008
Thursday
While in Izmir, we visited the Church of Polycarp. It is a Catholic church dedicated to honoring this direct pupil of the apostle John who was tortured and killed at the age of 86 because he would not proclaim that “Caesar is Lord” and offer a small pinch of incense to Caesar’s statue. Polycarp said, “Eighty-six years I have served Christ, and He never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” As a result of his unwillingness to denounce his faith in God, Polycarp was burned alive at the stake.
As we walked through the church, I was struck by the ornateness of decorations and color. It was an amazing place. Pictures painted on the walls and ceiling were of the Christian story, including the role Polycarp had as “the father of the Christian Church”. It was very comforting to see the Bible at the back of the church opened to one of my favorite stories, “The Walk to Emmaus”. However, the most unique aspect of the visit was seeing a relic of Polycarp. In the Catholic tradition, relics tie believers to the saints who have gone before them. For Polycarp, the relic, contained in a case, was a part of his skull bone.
As I reflected on Polycarp and his role as a martyr who died rather than live without Christ, I was reminded of our Christian brothers and sisters around the world today who willingly giving up their freedom, and sometimes their lives, to remain faithful to Christ. As we think of how Christ suffered and died for us, are we willing to say that we would be willing suffer and die rather than deny Christ in our lives? Are we willing to die to live for all of eternity with Christ? It’s something to ponder during this season of Lent.
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