So much of 21^st century Christianity is skewed by our culture. Sometimes it’s helpful to reset our minds by remembering the ideals and attitudes of the great men and women of faith from past centuries. One story of a loud death helps me.

A man named Ignatius was the bishop of the church in Antioch when he was sentenced to die in A.D. 107. The imperial authorities wanted to execute him in Rome for amusement as part of a celebration for a recent military victory. Ignatius was ready for martyrdom.

While awaiting execution he heard that some Christians in Rome wanted to rescue him to prevent his death. Ignatius, however, was ready to seal his witness with his blood. In a letter written during his imprisonment, he expressed his disapproval for any attempts to save him. So he wrote…

“I fear your kindness, which may harm me. You may be able to achieve what you plan. But if you pay no heed to my request it will be very difficult for me to attain unto God.”

He continued later in the letter…

“If you remain silent about me, I shall become a word of God. But if you allow yourselves to be swayed by the love in which you hold my flesh, I shall again be no more than a human voice.”

Ignatius was no masochist. Nor did he desire self-promotion through pain. He longed to die physically in a way that would announce the central fact about his life: he was already dead.

God, help us follow Ignatius. Help us to die to self. And lead us to face death (and life) in a way that announces this death.