 My wife, Inge, is a native of Indonesia, born on the island of Java. Today we know Indonesia as the largest Islamic nation in the world, but during the Second World War, Indonesia was occupied by the Japanese. Inge’s father, a protestant Chaplain, was held captive in a Japanese POW camp during the war. His name was Christiaan LayderHavenstroom.
Upon being captured, Chris learned that every morning at sunrise, he and other prisoners were required to gather outdoors and bow down to the sun in honor of the Japanese Emperor. The next morning, as the other 3,000 prisoners bowed down,
Chris remained standing, straight and tall…and alone.
He was brought before the commanding officer and interrogated as to why he refused to bow. Chris answered, “I do not bow down to the sun or to the Emperor of Japan. I only bow down to worship God.”
“Well,” the commanding officer said, “in that case, you will be executed by a firing squad tonight at six o’clock.”
“Fine,” Chris replied, “you do what you must do.”
Later accounts by those who were with him that day say that Chris was not anxious or worried. He merely committed his day to the Lord, as he always did, and went about simply trusting God to see him through.
At 5:45 that evening, he shook the hand of each of his friends and said good-bye. Then he was led away.
Thirty minutes later, he returned! The commanding officer had inexplicably changed his mind and ordered Chris released. On two other occasions when Chris was threatened with execution for conducting Bible studies in the barracks, God honored his stand and delivered him.
I never met my father-in-law, Christian LayderHavenstroom. He died of typhoid seven years after the war ended. But his example of faith in the one true God is an inspiration to me. He knew that earthly kingdoms and empires come and go. Their authority is temporary. But as followers of Christ, we belong to a Heavenly Kingdom.
Near the end of the third chapter of Philippians, the Apostle Paul--himself imprisoned for his faith—writes, “But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends!” ![]()
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