Jihad in Flanders Guido De Brès It is already ten years ago that on September 11, 2001 the world was shaken by the attack on the Twin Towers in New York City. The devastating news was broadcast worldwide and many even watched it live on television as the second plane plunged into the second tower. Muslim jihad fighters aligned with Al-Qaeda were the culprits. Thousands of people lost their lives. The shock waves of this event are still felt today as military coalition troops are still battling the Taliban and Al-Qaeda forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere. Jihad in Church History It is especially after 9/11 that many in the West became aware of Muslim radicalism and their drive to engage in jihad. Jihad can be described as a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims. Experts on Islam have described this religion as adhering to the sacred duty of executing the wrath of Allah upon infidels. Religious wars and violence instigated by religion or ideology can be most brutal. Sad to say, also among those who aligned themselves with the Christian church there have at times been those who also inflicted brutality. We think of the days of the Protestant Reformation when during the 16th century and beyond many who desired to leave the Church of Rome to join Protestant churches suffered greatly. Many lost their lives. This suffering took place throughout many countries in Europe. Jihad Against Guido de Brès and Protestants In the midst of these events there is one event that comes to the foreground. That is what took place on the night between the 1st and 2nd of November of 1561, when a small package was thrown over the castle wall of Tournai in what is now known as Belgium. That package contained a letter to king Philip II to stop the persecutions against Reformed believers. Attached to this letter was a copy of the Belgic Confession of Faith. The author was the well-known minister of the Reformed churches, Guido de Brès. This year it is 450 years ago that this event happened. Therefore it is good to reflect upon some aspects of this historic event. As churches we should not forget what it cost our ancestors to establish and confess the Reformed religion. Guido de Brès can be considered to be one of the most important church reformers of The Netherlands. He was born in 1522 in what is now known as Belgium, in a town called Mons. He died as a martyr and sealed his confession with his blood. He was hanged in the Flemish city of Valenciennes on May 31 in the year 1567. To understand the work and the importance of this brave man, it is helpful to consider the times in which he lived. His days were characterized by turmoil and bloodshed to advance the Protestant Reformation. During de Brès‟ lifetime many were put to death in Flanders for the sake of their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic rulers sought to root out the adherents to this „new religion‟ and used the most extravagant means available to them. Hundreds were tortured and put to death in the most gruesome manner. Many tried to flee the country, but were betrayed, caught and put to death. For protection, the ministers used pseudonyms, as did the churches. The church of Antwerp was called Capernaum; the church of Tournai was called „The Palm tree.‟ Some of the other names were „The Rock‟ (Steenwercke), The Cornerstone (Wervinq), „The Sun‟ (Brussels); the church at Lille was called „The Rose,‟ and Valenciennes „The Eagle.‟ There were many more churches and pastors that tried to use these means to survive in the midst of the persecutions. For instance, in 1544 Pierre Bruly started to preach the Gospel in Tournai. Prior to this he had served the churches of Lille and Strasbourg. He arrived in Tournai disguised as a merchant. As soon as he arrived, he started to preach and teach, not only in Tournai but also in other cities in the area, such as Lille, Valenciennes, Douai and Arras. He often preached at night to avoid detection. But already after two months he was betrayed and condemned to be burned to death on the market square of Tournai. Soon afterwards, fellow preachers in Tournai were also caught, burned or beheaded. It seemed as if the Reformed church in Tournai was gone, but in reality the church was still alive. It went underground and continued to grow. (Korteweg, Guido de Brès, p. 117) Reformed religion grew in spite of the fact that many were hunted down and killed by the Inquisition. Considering the aggression and fanaticism of these persecutors, we can speak of a kind of jihad against the adherents of the Reformation, with this difference, that in our day jihad is carried out by followers of the Muslim faith, while in those days the perpetrators were not Muslims but Roman Catholics. Jihad Today in Muslim Countries What happened in the 16th century in Flanders is still happening today in parts of the world. Also today, believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are killed, burned, kidnapped, falsely accused of blasphemy, imprisoned, stoned and tortured. Today, in Muslim countries there are secret believers. Christians come together in small house churches where they seek to comfort and encourage one another in the faith of the Lord Jesus Christ. At times their suffering can be awful. If Muslims leave their faith and become Christians they are ostracized, assaulted and can even be killed. In various Muslim countries the secret police have such groups of Christians under surveillance, seeking to find them out and to silence them. Churches are burned by angry mobs, ministers are murdered and young women are abducted and forced into Muslim marriages. But just as in Flanders, the Lord works in mysterious ways. Jihad in Afghanistan It happened in early 2002, shortly after military coalition forces had forced the Taliban from power in Afghanistan that close to the Tora Bora Mountains a secret meeting took place of Pashtun Christians. These men and women came from Jalalabad, Kunar and Kandahar. Blankets covered the windows. Candles provided some light. The meeting was started with the singing of Psalms in the Pashto language. The song leader was a former mullah with a beautiful chanting voice. His face radiated joy and he spoke in broken English that he wanted to be a mullah for Jesus. These men had all been devout Muslims but they had become acquainted with the Lord Jesus and the miracles He did. Some listened to Christian radio broadcasts. Others had received special dreams in which they were called to follow Jesus Christ. During this meeting twelve men and two women were baptized. Today there are thousands of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ in the Pashtun area of Afghanistan. But they are a church in extreme danger. Their lives are at stake. They meet in hiding places. New Testaments are smuggled over the Tora Bora Mountains. (Al Janssen, Secret Believers, pp. 224,225). One of the men present was Nazim, who returned home to his village after the meeting and started teaching children to read and write, using accounts from the Gospels. Two years later a local Mullah, member of the Taliban, entered Nazim‟s house with some other men and beat Nazim severely. They told him to teach the children from the Quran and not from the Gospels. When they 2 left he asked his wife and two children to quickly run and call together family and friends, along with his students. Within a few minutes there were around twenty-five people crowded into his home. In spite of the pain he suffered from his injuries, Nazim spoke to all present giving the account of his spiritual journey. He concluded by reading from the Gospel, saying: “Jesus, by giving His life for us, releases us from the burden of sin and links us with God.” He called his hearers to also follow Jesus. He then fell over and died. (Secret Believers, p. 229). Cherishing Our Reformed Heritage What happened in Flanders in the 16th century and now in many Muslim countries is in principle the same. It is suffering for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. The death of God‟s children reminds us of John 12:24: Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. Guido de Brès and many others gave their lives for the Gospel. Eventually, more than a hundred thousand Protestants fled Flanders and relocated in what is known today as The Netherlands. (Brady, Handbook of European History 1400-1600; Vol. 2, p. 404). The Reformed church became firmly rooted in that nation and it lasted for centuries. In spite of much falling away from the truth, there are still many vibrant Reformed churches in The Netherlands today. Being aware of our history, let us be very grateful for the miracles of grace God has given to us. Many of us were raised in homes, schools and churches under the blessed truths of the Reformation. Let us be very grateful and humble ourselves on account of so many privileges we have received. On the other hand, let us also realize that we will be held accountable because of all these privileges. What have you and I done with all the truths we have received? Are there fruits in our lives of faith and repentance? Do we have the strong desire to confess the name of the Lord Jesus Christ? Do we confess that we lie in the midst of death? Does this give us a true heart-felt sorrow? Do we strive to have the image of the Lord Jesus laid upon our lives? Finally, let us be in prayer for these persecuted brothers and sisters.