Tortured for Christ

"I have found truly joyful Christians in only three places: the Bible, in the Underground Church, and in prison." There is a living faith that enabled them, "to kiss their prison bars and rejoice in the fellowship of Christ's suffering." R. Wurmbrand

A movie difficult to watch. Difficult in the sense of hard to swallow amid the cruelties. But truly inspirational - obviously not in the sense to repeat such a tragic story, but to be steadfast in the ordinary life of a Christian and the small things of life.

It is also refreshing to read through the book of the same name a story which is not saturated with half-lies or made-up anecdotes.

It would be an excellent movie if the producer would not have partly ruined it, by inserting at the end music from Calvinists (The Gettys) and composing the hall-of-fame of martyrs almost exclusively of Orthodox monks and priests. When it comes to sufferings for CHRISTOS, we should focus on CHRISTOS and not on divisions / denominations.

Quote of the movie: "There are two kinds of Christians: Those who sincerely believe in G-d and those that, just as sincerely, believe that they believe in G-d."

If for no other reason than to honor the sacrifices made by believers through the centuries for their faith, Richard Wurmbrand being one of them. I had the privilege of hearing Richard Wurmbrand in the 1970's while I was in college studying for the ministry. He made an indelible impression on my life. Of course, I read the book and learned of a love that few of us know or experience.

Being a Christian, I'm usually not a fan of Christian movies due to subpar acting and shallow storytelling. However, this dramatized documentary is an exception. Refreshingly gritty, unapologetically faith-filled and at times bloody, it tells the story of those who sacrificed themselves to spread the love of the God whom they worshiped and experienced intimately. They testify of their savior, Jesus, in whom they unwavering trust even in the midst of horrific torture. Now this is faith!

We just went to see this movie, and I have to say that although it's graphic, it barely depicts the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the suffering of Christians under the Communist regimes past and present. Those living in free democratic countries need to see this to be conscious of what "freedom" actually is like when God is out of the equation.