Written by Bishop Andrew Gentry   

Beloved Friends,

God willing we at All Saints and Sorts will celebrate on the 16th of February the Feastday of Blessed Janani Luwum, bishop and martyr, Blessed Erinayo Wilson Oryema, and Blessed Charles Ofumbi also martyrs. At the time of his death in 1977 Idi Amin ruled Uganda like a feudal lord whose cruelty knew no bounds. Entire villages were slaughtered at his command. It is reported that so many people were thrown into the rivers in that country to be eaten by crocodiles that the crocodiles were engorged. One report later would state that the full extent of the murder and torture committed might never fully be known! It is also reported that on many occasions Amin personally directed and participated in the killings as well as the rapes and mutilations and one report even accuses him of cannibalism! It is against this horror, evil, and the demonic power of the state that one Janai Luwum the Anglican Archbishop draws a line in the sand and tells Amin that was he is doing and what his government is doing is contrary to the Law of God and he repeatedly, along with his brother bishops and committed Christians, continued to condemn these actions and the ruthless dictator who ordered them. There were also two very committed and brave men who like their Brother and Saviour obeyed God rather than the state and along with these bishops they too protested the violence of the government of Idi Amin and their names of blessed memory are Erinayo Wilson Oryema and Charles Oboth Ofumbi. History has shown us over and over again that evil does not allow good to speak the truth long before the retribution begins. Soon he and his fellow Anglican bishops and these two good men are arrested. He with them are hauled before Amin's so called court on the 16th of February and "convicted" of treason. Amin like some perverted actor playing a modern Pontius Pilate turns to the crowd of his soldiers and paid supporters and ask "what shall we do with these traitors" to which they enthusiastically reply "kill them". Later the archbishop whose face is severely beaten tells his bishops to take heart and he with the two Cabinet ministers are separated from the others. The next day they and he are found along the side of the road and their bodies are riddled with bullets. The government of Amin claimed they were shot trying to escape when in fact Amin had personally shot the archbishop in the mouth and then several times in the head before ordering his troops to spray them all with gunfire! Amin shot the archbishop in the mouth as if to say "you wont condemn me or my actions again with that mouth"! Little did he know the witness and testament of Archbishop Luwum would ultimately lead to his been forced to flee Uganda! Not only this but many in Uganda who had abandoned or rejected the Faith of Christ because they saw no difference in Christianity and other ideologies or religions began to understand what it ultimately means to be a follower of Christ because of the ultimate offering of self for others by these three men.

It is said that when Thomas Moore first learned of the Act of Supremacy which his conscience absolutely would not allow him to sign, his daughter whom he devoutly loved made quite the fuss about doing exactly that; to die in protest against the Crown's takeover of the Church. But Thomas who was known for his wisdom and honesty said to her that "our natural cause lies in escaping but if we must come to this place (martyrdom) it is God's place to do it not ours and then we can rattle like champions if we have the spittle for it!" We are not called upon to engage in some kind of "theological masochism" which many a deluded and misled adherent of some religions and religious schools across the religious and or ideological spectrum teach and have taught now and in the past. Lord knows we all have witnessed the carnage this delusion and heresy causes the innocent! But we are called upon to witness in Love for the Truth to Power. Sometimes perhaps even often such witness results in death often horrible ones.

So I pose the question what do we consider of such worth and such meaning that we will by the Grace of God lay down our lives for that "intangible"! Ponder your response. If our faith means anything at all this is a relevant question and has facets that are legion!

Peace
Bishop Andrew Gentry
The Church of All Saints and Sorts,
A Congregational Catholic Church, Asheville N C
An Intentional Eucharist Community