Posted on 06/11/2002 12:38:52 PM PDT by simicyber
Traditional Values Coalition
Opinion Editorial
Tuesday, June 11, 2002
Martin Burnham ‘Died Well’ In Philippine Jungle
By Rev. Louis P. Sheldon
Chairman, Traditional Values Coalition
Washington, DC – The earthly spiritual journey of New Tribes Missionary Martin Burnham is over, and his wife Gracia is safely back in Kansas to be reunited with her three children, relatives, and friends.
It was last May that the Burnham’s visited a tourist resort in the Philippines to celebrate their 18th wedding anniversary. It was at this resort that members of the Muslim terrorist group Abu Sayyaf seized them and kept them as hostages in the jungle for more than a year.
Current news reports give conflicting accounts of what happened on the last day of Martin Burnham’s life. One account says that Philippine forces stumbled on to the Abu Sayyaf camp where they were holding the Burnhams and Deborah Yap, a Filipino nurse—and were forced into a gun battle. Martin and Deborah were killed during the fire fight.
Reuters indicates that during his last moments, Martin fell on Gracia and protected her from the deadly gunfire. Gracia’s sister Mary Jones was interviewed on Manila TV and told what happened next: “[Gracia] said that after 20 minutes, he just became very heavy. She said that it very peaceful and she was glad that she was able to be with him when it happened.”
In a statement Gracia made at the Kansas City airport last week, she told her friends and members of the press: “We want to thank each and every one of you for every time you remembered us in prayer. We needed every single prayer during our ordeal in the jungle. We know there were countless of you who don’t even know us who prayed and offered support also, and we thank you.”
“A very bad thing happened to Martin and I when we were taken hostage, but we want everyone to know that God was good to us every single day of our captivity. Martin was also a source of strength to all the hostages. He was a good man, and he died well.”
When I think of Martin Burnham, I am reminded of the words of Jesus to his disciples as recorded in John 15:12-13, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Just before the battle started, Martin told Gracia, “If I have to go, I want to go out strong for the Lord.” Martin Burnham got his wish and, as Gracia said, “he died well.” It is my prayer that the Lord will use this human tragedy for His glory in the coming years—and that this event will serve to remind each of us not only to die well but to live well.
Traditional Values Coalition is an interdenominational public policy organization representing more than 43,000 churches across the United States. For more information, contact Sharone Carmona at 202-547-8570. TVC's Web site is: www.traditionalvalues.org.
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