By Archimandrite Seraphim Demopoulos
In 1985 an African - who was then a deacon - named Nicholas narrated to us the following circumstance.
In Uganda, Archimandrite Nikodemos Sarikas (1878-1941) preached for the first time (in 1933). Among those who heard him preaching was a young African boy.
That night, when the boy and his family sat to eat, he did his cross first.
"What are you doing?" asked his father, a fanatical Muslim. "Did you change your faith? Get up, right now!"
They went outside, he gathered a big heap of wood, he ignited a large flame, and said to his son:
"Tell me! Will you return back to our faith?"
"No," said the young boy, "I am a Christian."
"I will ask you one more time. Will you come back to our faith?"
"No," said the young soldier of Christ.
"This is the last time I will ask you. Will you come back to the faith of your fathers?"
"I am not afraid. I am a Christian!"
Then the father grabbed his child and cast him into the flames. And the young martyr of Christ became a victim of the fire.
Source: From the book Ένα κάθε μέρα. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.
In Uganda, Archimandrite Nikodemos Sarikas (1878-1941) preached for the first time (in 1933). Among those who heard him preaching was a young African boy.
That night, when the boy and his family sat to eat, he did his cross first.
"What are you doing?" asked his father, a fanatical Muslim. "Did you change your faith? Get up, right now!"
They went outside, he gathered a big heap of wood, he ignited a large flame, and said to his son:
"Tell me! Will you return back to our faith?"
"No," said the young boy, "I am a Christian."
"I will ask you one more time. Will you come back to our faith?"
"No," said the young soldier of Christ.
"This is the last time I will ask you. Will you come back to the faith of your fathers?"
"I am not afraid. I am a Christian!"
Then the father grabbed his child and cast him into the flames. And the young martyr of Christ became a victim of the fire.
Source: From the book Ένα κάθε μέρα. Translation by John Sanidopoulos.