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uring World War II, Sabina and Richard Wurmbrand were arrested by the Nazis for their Jewish identity and Christian faith. Then, in 1945, when Russian Communists seized Romania and attempted to take control of the churches, Sabina and Richard began an “underground” ministry to oppressed believers and boldly witnessed for Christ to former Nazis and Russian soldiers. The following is an excerpt from Sabina’s book, The Pastor’s Wife, in which she recalls their radical obedience to share the love of Christ with even their enemies.
All through World War II, we had worked to help victims of the Nazis — Jews in concentration camps, children orphaned by the massacres, and Romanian Protestants, who were greatly persecuted under Antonescu, the Romanian prime minister who led the pro-German government during
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the war. We organized the first relief to Hungarian Jews and to another oppressed minority — the gypsies. But when the war ended, a new minority had been created. The hunter had become the hunted. German troops left behind in the retreat had to fend for themselves, and many died during the
Russian occupation of Romania. We were utterly opposed to the Nazis: They had killed millions; they had devastated whole countries, leaving cities in ruins; our friends and relatives had been thrown into their furnaces. But now they were defeated and offered no danger. Most of the soldiers who remained were like ourselves, simply victims of war. They were starving and terrified. We could not refuse them help. People said, “You’re taking foolish risks for the sake of murderers.” “God is always on the side of the persecuted,” Richard answered. It was not only Nazi Party officials who were being hunted like animals; it was also the silly boys who had paraded in Brown Shirts on Sunday afternoons and become soldiers by order. And not everyone was brave enough to prefer
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