Page 11 - Good News June 2006 paper

ASTOR SCHWEITZER Secret Armies”, Joseph from the barrack-room. But day scream nor whimper did he
was a Lutheran minister Johnston tells of the indomi- and night the other prisoners wring from Pastor Schweitzer.
Pwho went to Latvia from table courage and infectious joy could hear his voice from the “I’ll teach you. I’ll break you. I’ll
Germany as a youth. When of Pastor Schweitzer: The solitary cell, raised in songs of show you something you’ve
Russia annexed Latvia after guards, both convicts and praise to the Lord. never dreamed of,” screamed
World War I, Pastor Schweitzer civilians, had a mortal fear of It was a blistering cold night in Lublinski.
was among the first to be im- the old pastor, whose spirit no January 1947 when Lublinski, Four convict guards dragged
prisoned by the Soviets, mainly amount of “corrective” disci- the new commandant, released the old man away. For a few
because he was of German pline, hardships, starvation, or him with the warning to cease minutes his voice could still be
birth. Later he was convicted as torture could break. his “infernal singing”. He came heard singing. Then came
a foreign spy and sent to Well over sixty, Pastor into the barrack quietly in the silence.
Solovetiki, an Island in the Schweitzer was assigned to the middle of the night. In the dark In the morning, when the
White Sea between Archangel back-breaking task of pulling a of the frigid barracks, Pastor prisoners turned out, they saw
and Murmansk. The concen- sleigh into the woods and out Schweitzer sat on his cot. in the middle of the company
tration camp was known as “the again when it was loaded. But “Brothers,” he said more faintly formation a block of ice on the
prison of no hope on earth.” he always went to work with a than ever he had spoken before, ground.
Some of the guards were hymn on his lips. between racking, tubercular Lublinski had played the hose
thieves and criminals who had When the guards beat him with coughs, “will you join me in on Pastor Schweitzer in the
served in the Red Army – a cut- whips or rifle butts, the saintly singing...? I could not be with Arctic night. Frozen into a
throat lot. old man would look up at them you on Christmas.” human statue, the body of
Among the prisoners were and mutter, “God forgive you.” From all corners of the black Pastor Schweitzer lay in the
teachers, professional men, After the fifteen-minute break barrack, voices joined in the attitude of martyrdom - his arms
workers, intellectuals and those for the usual meal of thin barley sacred song, Pastor Schweit- outstretched, forming a cross.
who were “religious”. Pastor soup, hot water and a crust of zer’s above them all, leading The singing saint had slipped
Schweitzer stood out, a tall, bread, Pastor Schweitzer would their spirits and their thoughts away from his frozen temple of
white-haired figure. After the set up a rough timber cross and back to the days when they clay. But he is still singing!
r e g u l a r “ c u l t u r a l a n d lead his fellow-sufferers in were men. - The Flame
educational lectures” which all prayer and singing. Often no Lublinski stormed into the
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