The weather is a frequent subject of conversation in Britain. This year there have been many complaints that we haven’t yet had a real summer. Yesterday we had a beautiful, warm, peaceful evening with a cloudless blue sky. This morning it is overcast and colder with light rain. At school holidays time families hope for warm sunny days, just like it was when the parents were young! The outlook for August is promising. We have also been fortunate to have escaped the extreme weather conditions experienced in many parts of the world where there have been hurricanes, floods, droughts, typhoons, wildfires and extreme temperatures.

Richard Wurmbrand was a Christian leader in Romania. He became a Christian just before World War II and became a Lutheran priest and professor. He was from a Jewish family and rescued Jews during the war. In Romania Richard lived under a Communist regime which maintained a policy of state atheism. In 1948 Richard stated publicly that Communism and Christianity are incompatible and because of this he was imprisoned and tortured for 14 years in various penal facilities.

While in prison he was cruelly beaten and tortured including mutilation, burning and being locked in a large frozen icebox. His body bore the scars of physical torture for the rest of his life. During his imprisonment he spent three years in solitary confinement in a cell twelve feet underground, with no lights or windows. There was no sound because even the guards wore felt on the soles of their shoes. He maintained his sanity by sleeping during the day, staying awake at night, and exercising his mind and soul by composing and then delivering a sermon each night. At times a recorded voice in his cell constantly repeated the words, “There is no God, there is no God. Give up, give up, give up.” In 1964 he was released when an amnesty of $10,000 was paid and he was advised to leave Romania.

Richard once visited Wales and a friend of mine looked after him as he visited churches encouraging prayer for persecuted Christians. One day they were driving through the beautiful countryside of North Wales and stopped to take a short walk through a forest. They passed a couple who said to Richard, “It’s a lovely day isn’t it?” Richard replied, “Yes, it is, have you thanked God for it?” The persecution and imprisonment he experienced always made Richard very conscious of the goodness of God and the many blessings he showers upon us. For him walking through beautiful countryside on a lovely day was something to relish and for which to give thanks to God.