A brother who had been terribly tortured by the Communist police shared the same prison cell with me and told the following incident:

I once saw an impressive scene in a circus. A sharpshooter set out to demonstrate his skill. In the arena was his wife, with a burning candle on her head. From a distance he shot the candle so that it fell, leaving his wife unharmed.

Later I asked her, “Were you afraid?” She replied, “Why should I be? He aimed at the candle, not at me.”

I thought about this when I was under torture. Why should I be afraid of the torturers? They don’t beat me. They beat my body. My “me,” my real being, is Christ. I was seated with Him in the heavenly places. This-my real person-could not be touched by them. I have lived through the years of enforced exile with the image of such heroes of faith in my heart. Now, on my return to my homeland, I again found this same spirit among the Christians I met.

Wurmbrand, Richard. From Suffering to Triumph! Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1993, p. 5. Used By Permission The Voice of the Martyrs www.persecution.com