In Sebastia, There Were Martyrs, and There Was Martyrdom
Dr. Michel E. Abs
Secretary General of the Middle East Council of Churches
The story of the martyrs of Sebastia is one of the examples of the victory of the powerless over the mighty.
Forty declared their affiliation to the creed of the Incarnate Master, and they rushed to stand firm in martyrdom. However, when one of them weakened, and gained the share of the subservient, those who were not deterred by the cruelty of tyrants supported him.
The testimony of the forty in Sebastia is only the tip of the iceberg of the epics of faith, courage and sacrifice. Some were executed by hailing on the snow, others were killed between the canines of predators, others were put to death by burning, slaughtering, or cutting up, and the list goes on.
The true believer enjoys a steady determination and a solid affiliation that neither temptation nor intimidation affects.
A true believer does not abandon his belief, faith and morals in order to save a worn-out, worthless body.
The true believer does not apologize for his existence or his belief.
The true believer is a reality that imposes itself on this world.
The true believer is a beacon illuminating the path of humanity.
To the dustbin of history, tyrants and oppressors are deported.
As for the honorable, the martyrs, and the people of unshakable faith, they crown the head of human history. They embellish humanity's past and inspire its future.
Tyrants who do not shy away from killing those who do not follow their doctrine, perished in the same way in which they killed their victims... No, even worse.
Give the killer good tidings of killing even after a while, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you—and even more
This is not gloating, it is a lesson taken from history.
Those who are firmly rooted in their faith have shaken the earth and beckoned a mountain to move, and it moved.
Those who are firmly rooted in their faith are the leaven of righteousness that expands in the depths of society, and change it.
Those firmly rooted in the faith are a school and a role model that inspires the generations that have been born and others that have not yet been born.
The martyrs are a victory for truth over falsehood in the battlefield of human rights inspired by the Divinity.
Martyrs are the shining proof that true faith knows no retreat.
The martyrs are those who, with their blood, pain, and spirit, have prepared the path of the Kingdom.
We are children of hope, children of the Resurrection. Nothing deters us from standing firm in the righteousness of our belief.
We are the children of hope, the children of the resurrection. We know for sure that our kingdom is not of this world and we stand above its mean significance.
We are children of hope, children of the resurrection. Fear has no place in our lexicon.
Does anyone think that after the lashing, crucifixion, bleeding on the way to Calvary and on the cross, stabbing with a spear, drinking vinegar, all leading to resurrection, that there is something that frightens us?!
We are the sons of life, victors over annihilation in the likeness of the Incarnate who forgave. Forgiveness has sharpened our strength as it is rooted in love.
We are the children of life who love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to those who offend us.
Certainly, the martyrs of Sebastia would forgive those who threw them into the quagmire of torture.
Why?
Because there was no place for anything but love and forgiveness in their hearts, minds and souls.
Martyrs of Sebastia, your icon imparts pain as well as joy to us.
Pain because your bodies had been subjected to the harshest forms of torture,
And joy because it is a witness to the firmness of faith and its victory over hatred.
Is this not the case of the martyrs of the creed in the Incarnate, who is resilient to nothingness?