Today’s Scripture Reading (April 13, 2016): Psalm 26 & 27
On November 4, 1558, Alexander Gooch and Alice Driver were executed in England for the crime of being Protestants. The process of execution started at 7:00 in the morning. The two convicted Protestant followers of Christ knelt in prayer and sang Psalms as they prepared themselves for their deaths. Many of their friends and supporters had gathered to watch the last moments of Gooch and Driver. After their prayers, and after their request for more time to prepare had been denied, they were chained to a stake around which dried wood had been placed. According to some reports, many people came up and shook their hands before the wood that was piled under and around them was lit on fire. What makes their death maybe even more tragic is that that it occurred just 13 days before Queen Mary I, Bloody Mary, died. In just two weeks, a Protest Queen, Elizabeth I, would assume control of the English throne. But, unfortunately, even then the executions would not stop. They would be just shifted from convicted Protestants to convicted Catholics.
At her trial, Alice Driver is said to have been smiling when she was brought in. And at her conviction, she was led out of the courtroom and back to jail in joy. Alice Driver’s reality was that she knew the court had no real authority over her. She was concerned with standing “in the defense of God's truth, and in the cause of [her] Master Christ… and if [she] had a thousand lives, they should go for payment thereof."
It seems that Alice Driver understood the truth of David’s words in this Psalm. The Lord is my light and my salvation. And because that is true, there is no reason to be afraid, even when your enemies are standing at your door intent on doing you harm. Alice Driver believed that she was safe in the stronghold of her God, and no one could change that.
It is that understanding that has been the basis for the courage of many martyrs throughout history. And it is the truth that we need to understand in our current world situation. The Islamic State and other forces in this world may be able to cause confusion and fear, but only to the extent that we lose touch with the truth of David’s words in this passage. God is our light, our salvation, our stronghold, and our hope. And if this is true, and I believe it is, then who should we fear?
Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 26 & 27
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