The Martyrs of Uganda

The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.
Tertullian, 160-240 AD

Today in Africa, the country with the highest percentage of Christians is Uganda. Many people are not aware of a special group of boys and young men whose martyrdom surely contributed to the great growth of Christianity in this country.

All of us look to other Christians for inspiration, especially to those who for reasons of courage or dedication have become heroes of the faith. Sometimes such people are declared saints by the church; others just as bold and dedicated may be known to only a few, and some are known only to God.

The martyrs of Uganda are heroes of the faith who have been recognized by the church, young men who should offer special inspiration to those of us involved in Exodus ministries.

In the second half of the nineteenth century, the ruler of Uganda, King Mwanga, had a large number of Christian boys and young men serving as pages in his court. A number of these young men were committed Christians, some Roman Catholics, some Anglicans. The king wished to use these young men to satisfy his homosexual cravings. Most of the Christian pages resisted his advances, and although they had seen their leader killed for similar disobedience, they declared that they could not engage in such behavior because it violated their Christian beliefs.

This infuriated King Mwanga, and on June 3rd, 1886, he had the boys and young men executed-burned to death. Twenty-two of the martyrs were Roman Catholics, 12 were Anglicans. That difference hardly mattered; they were one in Christ.

In 1964, the Catholic Church canonized the twenty-two. Some Anglicans celebrate June 3rd as the date to commemorate the martyrdom of these young men.

If you are a Christian man or woman who has to fight powerful desires which urge you to engage in homosexual behavior, you do indeed endure some suffering in your battles. You might find help in your battles if you would try meditating on the price that these, our African brothers, paid to resist engaging in such ungodly behavior. Such meditation might be especially appropriate as we come into the Lenten season.

In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
Hebrews 12:4