Wednesday, October 12, 2022

*** This is a rough transcript of today’s show ***

It is the 12th of October 2022. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

If you lived in the United Kingdom in 1916, during World War I, you might have seen a curious poster with a curious and somewhat unfortunate irony. It was a picture of Edith Cavell- a nurse who helped allied soldiers escape German-occupied Brussels while working in Belgium. The poster read, “Murdered by the Huns Enlist… to help stop such atrocities”. It was one of many posters using Edith Cavell to encourage enlistments, buying war bonds, etc. Unfortunately, she was used for the war cause when her life’s work and last words attested against nationalism and her faith. The firing squad killed her on the 12th of October in 1915- let’s tell her story.

Edith was the first of four children born to the Reverend Frederick and Louisa Sophia Cavell in Norfolk, where he would serve as a parson for the rest of his life and where Edith would grow up. At the church, he pastored today on the east window a commemoration of the pastor's eldest daughter.

Edith served in the church teaching Sunday School and as a godmother to many of the parish's babies. She went to Norwich school in 1881 and then a series of schools until she came to Peterborough, where she trained to become a teacher. She was especially gifted in French, so upon graduation, she was recommended for a job to be a governess for a family in Brussels. She served there until 1895, when she returned home to care for her ailing father. From that experience, she decided to return to school to become a nurse. In 1896 she went to London for nursing school- she became a private nurse in 1898 and, in 1899, worked at St. Pancras- a hospital for the destitute.

In 1907 she was called back to Brussels to work under a doctor, hoping to professionalize the nursing corps in the style of Florence Nightingale. By 1914 she was running a school that was sending nurses out across Europe and lecturing to doctors and nurses up to 4 times a week.

She was back home, visiting her mother when she heard that the Germans had invaded Belgium. She rushed back to Brussels, where her hospital was transformed into a Red Cross Hospital and tended to the wounded on both sides. When Brussels fell, most staff were sent home, but not Edith. She continued to serve but soon found that the school she taught from was being used by British soldiers caught behind enemy lines. Thus began an operation to use the school as a station from which allied soldiers could be smuggled. The plot was eventually discovered, and Edith pled guilty to helping people escape. The punishment was death by firing squad.

Unlike some martyrdom stories, we have ample records of the trial and her death. She was afforded a chaplain who preached the gospel to her by his own account, repeated the phrase “Abide With Me,” to which Edith joined, and then served her communion. She would remark

“I am thankful to have had these ten weeks of quiet to get ready. Now I have had them and have been kindly treated here. I expected my sentence, and I believe it was just. Standing as I do in view of God and Eternity, I realize that patriotism is not enough, I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone.”

There are stories that some in the firing squad refused to shoot her and were shot themselves. The story of her death and faith were used quickly to sway neutrals against Germany. Unfortunately, she became a symbol of British patriotism and was used on those recruitment posters. Despite her insistence that patriotism is “not enough,” she treated Allied and German soldiers alike. She was motivated by her faith to accept her death as the result of doing merciful acts for the soldiers she helped to escape.

She is commemorated in the Anglican Church in their book of Saints. And just this year she was added to the Episcopal Church’s liturgical calendar, where she is remembered by that church body for the first time today. A handful of movies, plays, and songs have been written and performed in her honor. Born in 1865, Edith Cavell was 49 years old.

The Last Word for today comes from the lectionary for today from Matthew 10:

5 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 12th of October 2022, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man who enjoys Brussels, both the city and the sprout- he is Christoper Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man who thinks Brussels sprouts get a bad wrap- try sautéing with some balsamic vinegar. I’m Dan van Voorhis.

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.