This Easter in the Philippines

This Easter I’m in the Philippines, the most incredibly beautiful and diverse South-East Asian archipelago nation with complex religious traditions partly rooted in Roman Catholicism. Since 2015 and barring the first two years of the COVID-19 Pandemic, I’ve spent approximately a fifth of my working life based out here. I even have a second home here.

I absolutely love the Philippine people. Their warmth and respect are second to none. And although I still have much to learn, I’m now very comfortable with many of their perspectives and customs - save for one…

Volunteers for flagellation

This is the third or fourth Easter I’ve celebrated out here. And although I appreciate much about the Roman Catholic Church’s celebration of Easter, one thing I have not adjusted to is the non-orthodox yet widespread practice of voluntary self-flagellation and even voluntary crucifixion every Good Friday.

This practice jars with me most particularly because I have expertise in the detection and prevention of torture and ill-treatment, and so sometimes I have to examine torture victims who have been flogged. And a severe flogging was just part of the barbaric execution method inflicted on Jesus at the original Easter…

The original Easter in Israel

The Roman form of crucifixion was the ultimate control mechanism: feared by everyone within the Roman Empire, it acted as both deterrent and punishment…

Victim of crucifixion

The very first Easter saw God the Son, Jesus suffering and dying at the hands of others. He did so not because he wanted to - he wasn’t a masochist. Rather, he begged God the Father to spare him from his forthcoming ordeal:-

My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.
(Matthew 26:39)

But it was not to be. Jesus was arrested, tried, sentenced, tortured and executed. This makes him history’s most famous torture victim.

SENTENCED FOR US

So, why was Jesus sentenced to death? Not because God the Father was a cosmic child abuser - a charge levelled by some modern-day liberal theologians. No, Jesus was executed in our place for our sins.:-

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.
(Isaiah 53:5)

All we have to do is accept this incredible gift…

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
(John 3:16)

… and follow the teachings of Jesus, our incredible Saviour:-

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.
(Matthew 16:24)

With no disrespect intended, try as I might, I cannot understand why anyone who has truly understood Easter would perform self-flagellation. As I often say, ‘Jesus was tortured and died - so we don’t have to’.

Taking up our cross

So what did Jesus mean when he said we should take up our cross and follow him? Did he mean that we should self-harm every Easter? No! Did he mean that we should look for ways to goad those who are in a position to torture and execute us? Again, no!

No, by ‘follow me’ he meant that we should decide to follow his teachings. And by ‘take up his cross’ he meant that committing to follow him was not a nice, vague concept but a profound and self-denying lifestyle decision.

And yes, both then and now, following Jesus may lead to punishment and death. It is thought that the vast majority of Jesus’ original disciples met violent ends. But they did not volunteer to suffer and die, and they did not hurt themselves. No, they merely carried out their Lord’s final set of earthly instructions - with fatal consequences:-

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
(Matthew 28:18-20)

Almost two thousand years later, crucifixion is rare (though still crops up from time to time) and so thankfully I have yet to be asked to examine a case - fatal or otherwise. Yet there are many other ways to become a martyr…

WarTime Easter in Germany

The date on which Easter is celebrated fluctuates, as it is tied to the lunar rather than solar calendar. And by macabre coincidence, this Easter Sunday (9th April 2023) marks the 78th anniversary of the 1945 martyrdom - just eight days after that year’s Easter Sunday - of a great Christian hero…

Victim of hanging

Pastor Dietrich BonhoefferImage provided by Encyclopædia Britannica — Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer
(Image provided by Encyclopædia Britannica)

Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer was German born and raised. Yet he steadfastly opposed Nazi dictatorship and championed Christian discipleship, despite the unwelcome yet inevitable cost.

He participated in rescuing Jews. He refused to cooperate with the Nazification of the German Church. And he was linked to attempts to overthrow Hitler.

He didn’t want to suffer and die. Even though he was doing these incredibly dangerous things, which he knew risked capture and death, he was also planning for the future of the church after World War II. He even planned for his personal future - by getting engaged to be married!

Finally though, the inevitable happened: he was arrested in April 1943. He spent the last two years of his life in detention. Firstly, he was put in Tegel Prison, Berlin awaiting trial. Next he was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. And then finally he was transferred to Flossenbürg concentration camp for a quick show trial. He was hanged the very next day, on 9th April 1945, just one month before Germany surrendered. During his detention he suffered both physically and psychologically; the manner of his death by hanging was also possibly more cruel than some biographies state.

During his years as a prisoner he lived a life devoted to Christ, sharing God’s offer of salvation with fellow prisoners and prison officers. He also wrote fervently to friends, family, and his fiancée. Posthumously his letters and some of their replies were compiled into a well-known book, Letter and Papers From Prison. Reading these letters is both encouraging and humbling.

CONSIDERING the suffering

Bonhoeffer had lived experience of Matthew 16:24. He also witnessed much suffering of others, and during his imprisonment he wrote:-

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
(Letters and Papers from Prison)

How true. Yet how often do we fail to evaluate people in light of their past, their trauma and their suffering, rather than reacting directly to their words and behaviour?

JamMING The Wheel

Also whilst behind bars, Bonhoeffer wrote what may be his most famous quotation:-

We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.
(Letters and Papers from Prison)

This sentence encapsulated all that he lived for. He did not simply write and teach on the morals and ethics of the Christian life. He lived it too. His firm belief was not just in helping those crushed by the weight of this world’s injustices, but in radically intervening for the oppressed and averting the course of injustice so as to stop ‘the wheel of injustice’ from moving on to crush others in the future. And it cost him his life.

Future easters behind bars

Logo of our expertise and advocacy services

As a Christian faith-inspired organisation with a heart for detainees, we are inspired by the life and words of Bonhoeffer. All too often, we discover modern-day victims with wounds that need bandaging and wheels that need jamming.

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
(Proverbs 31:8-9)

May God bless you this Easter.

Dr Rachael Pickering, adapted from the 2019 article co-authored with Dr Esme MacKrill

PS we always welcome prayers and donations for the Gerry Serrano Centre.

Who was Dietrich Bonhoeffer?

76 years ago today theologian and dissenting minister of religion Dietrich Bonhoeffer was executed at Flossenbürg concentration camp. German born and raised, he opposed Nazi dictatorship and championed Christian discipleship despite the cost.

His participation in rescuing Jews, his refusal to cooperate with the Nazification of the German Church, and his links to plots to overthrow Hitler eventually led to his downfall.

After being arrested in April 1943, he spent the next two years in detention. Firstly, in Tegel Prison, Berlin awaiting trial. Then he was sent to Buchenwald concentration camp. And finally he was transferred to Flossenbürg for a quick show trial. He was hanged the very next day, on 9th April 1945, just one month before Germany surrendered. During his detention he suffered both physically and psychologically; the manner of his death was also possibly more cruel than some biographies state.

During his time in prison he lived a life devoted to Christ, sharing God’s offer of salvation with fellow prisoners and prison officers. He also wrote fervently to friends, family, and his fiancée. Posthumously his letters and some of their replies were compiled into a well-known book, Letter and Papers From Prison. Reading these letters is both encouraging and humbling.

CONSIDERING the suffering

*Memorial plaque to Bonhoeffer and others at the site of his execution*

Bonhoeffer understood suffering more than most. His faith in Christ led to his own suffering and death. He was a righteous man who knew what it was to take up his cross and follow his Lord Jesus, who was tortured and executed for us on Good Friday, just as the first disciples were taught:-

Then he [Jesus] said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
(Luke 9:23)
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
(Matthew 5:10)

Bonhoeffer had lived experience of these gospel passages. And during his imprisonment, Bonhoeffer reflected on the suffering of others that he was witnessing:-

We must learn to regard people less in the light of what they do or omit to do, and more in the light of what they suffer.
(Letters and Papers from Prison)

How true. Yet how often do we fail to evaluate people in light of their past, their trauma and their suffering, rather than reacting directly to their words and behaviour?

*Behaviour of mentally unwell detainees is often misunderstood, resulting in them being restrained and even fixated unnecessarily*

In medicine we are privileged to see people at the very beginning and end of their lives. We bear witness to heart-breaking moments and life-changing situations. Human beings are fragile. In times of tension, emotions run high. Unpleasant outbursts happen, filled with anger and blame. Some patients turn repeatedly to vices we wish they would stop for the sakes of their health and family.

Yet despite all this they are still children of God, valued and respected by Him. A good healthcare professional will see beyond what their patient is doing or saying, choosing instead to view the behaviour or words through the lens of their troubles.

And outside of the healthcare arena also, we should be challenged by this piece of wisdom. We need to look for the inestimable worth and dignity of our fellow human beings. Let’s give one another the respect each one of us deserves, whether we are free or behind bars.

JamMING The Wheel

Also whilst behind bars, Bonhoeffer wrote what may be his most famous quotation:-

We are not to simply bandage the wounds of victims beneath the wheels of injustice, we are to drive a spoke into the wheel itself.
(Letters and Papers from Prison)

Detainees are one of the world’s most vulnerable patient groups. Without their freedom, they have very little power to express their rights. And in many countries detainees who are unwell, disabled, poor or from a minority background are especially vulnerable.

JAMMING WHEELS TODAY

Logo of our expertise and advocacy services

As a medical organisation with a heart for detainees, we are all too familiar with wounds in need of literal or metaphorical bandaging. Whilst performing holistic healthcare, we also see the overwhelming need to advocate for our patients and to take a stand against the injustices many of them are facing. So in our own way we are trying to ‘drive a spoke into the wheel’ of injustice towards detainees, through our expertise and advocacy services.

As a Christian faith-inspired organisation, we will be forever encouraged in our work by the great example of Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Yet it is not a choice. God commands all of His followers to advocate for the disempowered:-

Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.
(Proverbs 31:8-9)

Dr Esme MacKrill with Dr Rachael Pickering

PS If you’d like to support our anti-torture & ill-treatment work, we welcome donations towards the Gerry Serrano Centre.