Heinz Gaugel, the man who painted Behalt, did much of his
research in the Martyr’s Mirror. In his
reading, he came across an account that he felt deserved a prominent place on
the canvas, and in the story of our people. In fact, he requested, that this story is one that we never leave out
when people take a tour of the Mural. It
is the story of Dirk Willems, an Anabaptist from Holland.
We know little of
Dirk except for the one act in which he supremely exemplified how practically
one can love their enemy. Dirk was
arrested and imprisoned for his beliefs in the prison in the Dutch village of
Asperen in 1569. He managed to escape
and was fleeing to where his wife and children were in hiding. He was seen by some Taufer Jauger (Anabaptist
bounty-hunters) and pursued. Rather than
leading his pursuers to his family he fled across the open countryside. He was a short, thin man who had suffered
hunger while in prison. He crossed a
river on ice that was precarious but held under his weight. His pursuers, however, were heavier, and one
of them broke through the ice.
Hearing the cries
for help from his enemy, Dirk turned back and helped the man to safety. In so doing he was held until soldiers
arrived and arrested and chained Dirk and returned him to a more secure cell in
the church bell tower .Dirk was
condemned to death and burned at the stake on May 16, 1569.
While Dirk was
human, with all the problems of humanity, his one act of love exemplifies very
well Christ’s words to us today from Luke 6:27, “Love your enemies and do good to
those who misuse you.” While we know
little about Dirk’s theology or life prior to this one tragic day in his life;
we do know he was willing to live what Christ taught in a practical way that
cost him his life. One wonders what
emotions and feelings were present when word was received by his wife and
children at the ultimate price that Dirk paid for being loving and kind.
In our world
today, we may never have the opportunity to save the life of our pursuers and
enemies, but every one of us has the opportunity to be kind and loving to those
who mistreat us. Mistreatment may not be
physical torture and death; rather, it more often gossip, slander or hurtful
words and deeds. What will we do in such
a situation? Will we “return” and offer
them a hand, or will they die in the icy river of their own making.