Baron Von Roenne

EXPERIENCE THE RESURRECTION

On the day that Alexis, Baron Von Roenne, died at the hands of the German hangman in 1944, he wrote the following words to his wife:

"My dearest beloved, in a moment now I shall be going home to our Lord in complete calm and in the certainty of salvation. My thoughts are with you with the very greatest love and gratitude.

As my last wish, I entreat you only to cling to Him and have full confidence in Him: He loves you.

Any decision you may take for all of you, after prayer, has my complete sanction and my blessing. If only you knew with what inconceivable loyalty he is standing at my side at this moment, you would be assured and calm for all your difficult life. He will give you strength for everything....."

And he concludes, "To you, my very dearest of all, belong my ardent thanks to the last moment and until our blessed reunion. God keep you".

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That letter comes from a collection of similar letters by prisoners in Germany on the verge of execution during the Second World War. They were published in a book in 1966 under the title Dying We Live.

Alexis was born in 1902 and was a colonel in the German Army. He regarded the National Socialist Movement as a disaster for Germany. He was eventually condemned to death because of his friendship with the leaders of the resistance movement. Finally, he was hanged on October 11th 1944. But before the rope was tightened around his neck, he put pen to paper and wrote that letter to his wife.

...o0o...

Given the circumstances of his untimely death, it would not have been unreasonable for him to have written words of sadness or of bitterness or of resentment. It would not have been unreasonable for him to have uttered a cry of protest and given vent to his anger towards a God who permits his faithful followers to endure such pain and anguish in the cause of justice and righteousness. It would not have been unreasonable for him to have uttered words of hatred concerning his persecution. But no, instead, we find words of calmness, of peace and of quiet acceptance as the moment of his execution approaches. As the Daily Telegraph reviewer at the time observed: "no cause for sorrow but rather for great joy".

I believe that the source of that inner strength which he experienced, in those final moments upon earth, are to be found in that sentence: ’If only you knew with what inconceivable loyalty he is standing at my side at this moment’.

In an earlier letter, written just before his imprisonment, he wrote similar words, to his wife: "My very dearest one, in all sorrow you must perceive constantly that you are not facing life alone. He is with you every moment".

I am sure these sentiments can be echoed, to a lesser or greater degree, by some of you here today, who in moments of utter desolation and aloneness, have been conscious of another's presence, which has given you the inner strength to face the future.

...o0o...

But why have I told you about Alexis, Baron Von Roenne?

Today is Easter Sunday. We have come here to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.

I could so easily spend this sermon reminding you of the traditional arguments used to support the historical fact of the Resurrection, the empty tomb, the appearances of the risen Christ to Mary, the two on the Emmaus Road, the disciples in the upper room, the change in the disciples’ behaviour, and the continued existence of the Christian church for nearly 2000 years - but, at the end of the day, such evidence would only appeal to the mind, and not to the heart. It would only support the fact of the resurrection in history. It would say nothing about its significance for us today, in the twenty first century.

What really convinces me that Jesus not only rose from the dead many years ago, but is alive in the world of today, is the personal experience of people like Alexis, Baron Von Roenne, who have known his risen presence in their lives, and never more so than in their darkest hour.

It is this personal experience that has shone like a flickering candle throughout the ages, and has never been extinguished. A presence which does not force itself upon us, but rather gently burns, inviting us to respond in faith.

No wonder, the commercial artist who designed the front cover of the book, which contains these letters, used a flickering candle as a symbol of the presence of the risen Christ.

...o0o...

May this flickering paschal candle, which we always light at Easter, be a constant reminder of the unseen presence of the Risen Christ in our midst. May it be a sign of hope and assurance that we are not alone in those dark moments of life. And may we too know of that “inconceivable loyalty” with which He stands with those who, like Alexis, Baron Von Roenne, turn to him in faith. Amen.