Running like an Anabaptist?

In 1954 Roger Bannister ran the first ever sub-four minute mile at Iffley track, Oxford. He held his world record for six weeks until his great rival John Landy of Australia broke it by one second with a time of 3 minutes 58 seconds. Later that year Bannister and Landy met in the final of the One Mile at the Vancouver Empire Games. It became known as 'Miracle Mile' (as both runners finished in under four minutes). On the last corner of the final lap Landy had the lead but Bannister was literally breathing down his neck. Then came the fatal mistake: in a moment of folly Landy turned his neck over his left shoulder, looking back to check his opponent in case he passed him on the inside. But in that moment Bannister surprisingly overtook him on his right side and went on to win the race, almost collapsing in a heap as he crossed the line. Landy's folly in looking back was famously captured by Vancouver Sun photographer Charlie Warner and his photograph was used as the basis for a 1967 bronze statue by Jack Harman. The statue stood outside Empire Stadium in Vancouver until the stadium was demolished in 1993 and then relocated. Landy, reflecting on the sculpture, once said: "When Lot's wife looked back she was turned into a pillar of salt; when I looked back I was turned into a pillar of bronze!"

Turning back during an athletic contest to see how close your fellow competitors are, especially in the closing moments of a race, is not sensible. But there is another story of a running man who turned back for a completely different reason. His name was Dirk Willems and it's an appropriate time to retell his story. Tuesday 21st January this year will mark exactly 500 years since radical reformers from the sixteenth century began the Anabaptist movement, in 1525. This Anabaptist anniversary and the recent sight of a local frozen pond (photographed above, in sub-zero degrees celsius temperature) reminded me of Willems' remarkable, famous winter story. He had received believer's baptism as a young adult in Rotterdam, at the house of Pieter Willems. He then became a member of a church in his home town of Asperen, where he held secret meetings and where he permitted several people to receive believer's baptism. At that time the Netherlands was under the rule of King Philip II of Spain. A top Spanish general known as the Duke of Alva (Fernando Alvarez de Toledo), trusted by Philip II, was appointed governor of the Netherlands, led a Spanish army into the country in 1567 and was intent on suppressing 'heresies'.

In 1569 Willems was arrested as a religious dissident and imprisoned in the castle of Asperen. One morning, awaiting to stand trial and desiring escape, Willems made a long rope by tying knotted rags (perhaps out of his bed sheets) together, fixing one end to a window and let himself down the castle wall and onto the frozen moat, which led to a larger frozen pond called the Hondegat (Dog Hole). This pond was about thirty feet deep in places. His meagre prison rations meant he was light enough on his feet to make it over the perilous thin ice and he swiftly ran for his life, to escape to freedom. A prison guard known as a thief-catcher gave chase and pursued him, but (as he was burly, heavier and less fleet-footed than his prey) fell through a patch of cracked ice (perhaps with handcuffs in hand) and into the cold watery pond. It was at this moment that Willems, still running away, heard a cry for help, turned his neck, looked back over his shoulder, and hastily prevented his pursuer from danger of drowning by pulling him out to safety. He saved his 'enemy's' life from the real risk of death.

The photograph of the incident (also above) shows onlookers, witnessing the dramatic and successful rescue. The thief-catcher wanted to let Willems go and was reluctant to re-arrest him, presumably because of his magnanimous rescue act. The burgomaster (chief magistrate/mayor) must have seen Willems' actions because he very sternly called to the thief-catcher, reminding him of his oath. One version of events has the burgomaster calling out "Remember the oaths you swore to the Duke of Alva, thief-catcher. You swore to catch criminals and deliver them to justice. I command you in the name of the Duke of Alva, seize the heretic."

And so Willems was seized. He was taken back into custody and re-imprisoned for his 'crimes' which he obstinately refuted. Consequently he was put through a trial "proceeding from the deceitful papists", refused to renounce his radical reading of Scripture and of (re-)baptism, and was judged to have behaved "contrary to our holy Christian faith, and to the decrees of his royal majesty, and ought not to be tolerated, but severely punished, for an example to others". He was found 'guilty' of having been (re-)baptised and of holding secret meetings and baptisms in his home - all of which he freely confessed. His property was confiscated and he was tragically executed with fire by being publicly burned at the stake on 16th May 1569. Apparently the wind was blowing the smoke away, and since he didn't die more quickly from smoke inhalation, his death was excruciatingly painful and his loud cries were heard in the town of Leerdam. "O my Lord, my God," he called out, over seventy times. Finally, unable to watch the torment, the supervising judge who was filled with sorrow and regret at Willems' suffering, wheeled his horse around and commanded the executioner, "Dispatch the man with a quick death."

Several slightly nuanced versions of this story and its application can be read here, here, here and here. A fuller account from an online version of Martyr's Mirror (a 1660 Anabaptist martyrology, documenting much of the persecution of the Anabaptists and their predecessors) can be read here. 

It has been said that no Anabaptist martyr story has captured the imagination more than the story of Dirk Willems. Every time I think about it, it raises more questions in my head. As a runner I am impressed with his attempt to run for his life. But where was he running to? Presumably somewhere safe. How long and far was he expecting to run? Don't know. Did Willems' feet partially crack the icy patch that the thief-catcher then fell through? Possibly. If he had sufficient confidence in his own ability and agility to run, why didn't he rescue his pursuer and then continue his run to freedom? Not sure! Would I have turned back and acted with such mercy if I was running away from a pursuer? Probably not if my life depended on it, because the instinct for survival and adrenaline would have driven me forward. But the most crucial question to reflect on is this: Upon hearing the ice crack and/or the cry for help, was he in two minds as to what to do? I believe not. Any brief thoughts of two possible drownings (him and the thief-catcher) and any resentment of losing his escape to freedom faded as he spontaneously responded to the risk of his struggling pursuer drowning. He knew this was the right way to act. It was a righteous, reflexive response. He did what his faith compelled him to do.

I am also left wondering whether, following his re-arrest and imprisonment, Willems sat in his cell and occasionally regretted his merciful rescue. Did he have further conversations with the thief-catcher? Did he ever look back with regret that he had not ran on? God had driven the sea back and divided the waters so Moses and the Israelites could be released from captivity and be free from Pharaoh's chasing army, so was the cracked ice God's providential means of Willems' escape to freedom? Was the cracked ice also a sign of God's judgement and justice? Willems was not guilty in God's sight and surely justified in running onwards.

But I must neither over-think the story nor let these speculative musings cloud the overall impression I am left with, which is that Willems acted mercifully, graciously and selflessly. He could have turned back, seen the other onlookers and considered it to be their responsibility to save the distressed thief-catcher. But he responded and his sacrificial response - saving a life and losing his own - was love in action. He must have known his selfless action would likely prove his own downfall, but he did it. Stuart Murray comments: 'Fleeing across a frozen canal, he heard the ice give way behind him and turned back to rescue from the icy water a bailiff who was pursuing him. This compassionate act cost Dirk his life. He was promptly re-arrested and soon afterwards burned at the stake. As Anabaptists have reflected on this story and asked why Dirk turned back, many have concluded that this instinctive response (there was no time for careful analysis of the pros and cons) was the result of being nurtured by a community in which enemy-loving was regarded as normative for disciples of Jesus' (The Naked Anabaptist, pp. 109-110).

Following Jesus means keeping his teaching to love our enemies, which means staying attentive to those in need. Asperen has a street named in Willems' honour. I might have to go on a run there someday.