Inspirational Christians

Doc Farrell

I thought perhaps some posters here might like to mention Christians that for some reason have inspired them, made you feel glad to be alive, reminded you why you are alive. I'm not really talking about the famous ones, but perhaps quieter less known saints basically. I can think of plenty but today I was reminded of this French man who tried to save Jewish children from the Nazis and paid for his work with his life.

Here's a beautiful quote from him.

Silence is the great master. It speaks to the human heart. Silence is not an empty void; God dwells therein. –Père Jacques

Here's his bio from Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Père_Jacques

Please feel free to add to the list as often as you like. Try to keep the list holy people! Avoid the truely famous unless you can't!

prinz

Not sure how well known around these parts but for me some lesser known individuals would be Sophie Scholl and the others of the White Rose group, Sophie and her brother were Lutherans, Alexander Schmorell Eastern Orthodox, Willi Graf Roman Catholic.... a group of young students from various Christian denominations who came together to stand up to Nazism and paid for it with their lives.

Fanny Cradock

MLK Jr and Dietrich Bonhoeffer.

ISAW

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meister_Eckhart

Brother Roger
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fr%C3%A8re_Roger

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adelard_of_Bath

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irenaeus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jos%C3%A9_Mar%C3%ADa_Arizmendiarrieta

JimiTime

1. My parents, for being thinking Christians and not ritualistic or cultural in their faith. Encouraging me to think about things, and question everything.

2. The Jehovahs Witnesses who gave up their time to conduct one on one bible study with me.

3. My wife, who by example, revealed the self righteousness I was full of and allowed me to see the error of the JW's. I was able to throw out the bathwater (JW doctrine), and retain the baby (My study of the bible).


All in all, there are many inspirational Christians, but the ones that really impact on your life, are the ones that extend their hands to YOU. MLK etc, are no doubt inspirational characters, but I guarantee, that on a personal level, the Salvation Army volunteer who sits down with the homeless man inspires that person more than the great figures we celebrate. Such is the power of the great commission and Gods call for ALL of us to be people of action.

HamletOrHecuba

In our own day no one publicly at least matchs Bishop Richard Williamson.

The last true Bishop in a formal as opposed to material sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpXoRd9UQJw

Doc Farrell

HamletOrHecuba wrote: »

In our own day no one publicly at least matchs Bishop Richard Williamson.

The last true Bishop in a formal as opposed to material sense.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpXoRd9UQJw

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. I'm not talking about who inspires you on a political level, I'm asking, if a child who was ill or a friend who was dying asked you to tell them a story of someone who lived and died as a true Christian who would you mention? Let's try to keep politics out of it for once.

HamletOrHecuba

Doc Farrell wrote: »

Perhaps I didn't make myself clear enough. I'm not talking about who inspires you on a political level, I'm asking, if a child who was ill or a friend who was dying asked you to tell them a story of someone who lived and died as a true Christian who would you mention? Let's try to keep politics out of it for once.

Where did I bring in politics?

Others have (an adulterer is a Christian hero?).

Bishop Williamson's stand for truth in an evil age is inspiring.

Doc Farrell

I mention a school teacher who tried to save the lives of Jewish children from Nazi murderers and you bring up a holocaust denier? Have you no shame? You are doing the work of ten men in destroying this forum.

HamletOrHecuba

Doc Farrell wrote: »

I mention a school teacher who tried to save the lives of Jewish children from Nazi murderers and you bring up a holocaust denier? Have you no shame? You are doing the work of ten men in destroying this forum.

I wasnt refering to that person as an adulterer.

Bishop Williamson doesnt deny that jews suffered horribly and unjustly under the National Socialist Germany- he doesnt believe USSR 08 which came from the same people who tried to pin the Katyn massacre on the Germans literally. Big deal. Even if we believe the six million figure (and its a criminal offense in most EU countries not to which does a lot for serious debate on this issue) more Germans were deliberately starved to death by Anglo-American sadism after the war and more Indians in the Punjab during it- but there is no credit from this world in remembering their deaths. The notion that Nazism was some unique evil (though it was evil certainly) is poisonous.

But that is NOT why Bishop Williamson is so admirable.

Onesimus

Fr.Anthony de mello and all or most of his work especially his book ''Awareness''.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q57cFQkbBJQ

prinz

It's actually hard to think of inspirational figures that would be known about on the one hand, and not that famous on the other. Like JimiTime the most inspirational people living as Christians for me would be relations specifically my wife and the in-laws.

For a few more in the middle ground perhaps between known and not very famous..

Jan Hus http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Hus
Oscar Romero http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Romero
and this may seem like an odd one, but Konrad Adenauer http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Konrad_Adenauer

PDN

I would nominate Xiao Min. This remarkable woman, from a peasant family in Henan Province, although lacking any formal musical training, has written thousands of hymns that are sung in the Chinese underground house churches by millions of people.

gimmebroadband

Maximillian Kolbe would be my nomination for his selfless act in saving the life of another prisoner at Aushwitz, among other things.

Maximilian Kolbe was a Polish priest who died as prisoner 16670 in Auschwitz, on August 14, 1941. When a prisoner escaped from the camp, the Nazis selected 10 others to be killed by starvation in reprisal for the escape.

One of the 10 selected to die, Franciszek Gajowniczek, began to cry: "My wife! My children! I will never see them again!" At this Father Kolbe stepped forward and asked to die in his place - his request was granted.

As the ten condemned men were led off to the death Block of Building 13, Father Kolbe supported a fellow prisoner who could hardly walk. No one would emerge alive - Father Kolbe was the last to die ..

http://www.fatherkolbe.com/

Ronnie Binge

C.S. Lewis and his circle of friends including J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. Four very different men but beacons of intelligent, imaginative and fully charged with supernatural Christianity. They also liked a pint or three, smoked, loved the women in their lives and lived life to the full.

Lewis I feel is somewhat ignored in Ireland because he was a Belfast CoI man but he loved this country, north and south, and spent much of his free time here.

PDN

Ronnie Binge wrote: »

C.S. Lewis and his circle of friends including J.R.R. Tolkien, Charles Williams and Owen Barfield. Four very different men but beacons of intelligent, imaginative and fully charged with supernatural Christianity. They also liked a pint or three, smoked, loved the women in their lives and lived life to the full.

Lewis I feel is somewhat ignored in Ireland because he was a Belfast CoI man but he loved this country, north and south, and spent much of his free time here.

Lewis' step-son, Douglas Gresham, used to run a Christian counselling centre in County Carlow. He was an interesting speaker and well worth hearing. I hear he retired to Malta a few years ago.

tommy2bad

As you asked who would I use as an example of good Christians I could go with all of the already mentioned people.
I will add most of my neighbors who have helped me and others, the ordinary little things we all do not for the sake of being seen to do good but because it's right. I have personal experience of this kind of thing and while it will never make a wiki article, it's none the less more powerful at spreading the gospel.

Benny_Cake

Plenty of good and inspirational people have been mentioned already (with the exception of Richard Williamson). Personally - Martin Luther King, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Bernhard Lichtenberg, Irena Sendler, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero and many others, I'm fascinated by how people are able to answer hate with love, and oppression with self-sacrifice, Gordon Wilson would be an example of someone who did that in this country. Of course, there are many good Christians who have been generous and kind to me over the years, family and friends, the type of people who would do anything for you, living their faith in a quiet and unassuming way who have had a big impact on me too.

lmaopml

Great thread Doc! Gosh, I think everybody I would have said has been mentioned, and then off course there are so many just normal folk that shape life that nobody would know, just members of the communities, everyday people in life.

- I'd like to mention a really lovely contemporary person though, his name is Father Benedict Groeschel, and he has been brought more to the public worldwide eye by TV and maybe some Divine Providence in his old age, he's an author and a preacher - however, he's also a man I really love, and love to listen to preaching because they sometimes say that wisdom comes with age, but I really believe this guy was born with it - a lovely uplifting and humble preacher. So, as far as contemporary people are concerned I'd like to add him to the list....:)

Doc Farrell

On the day that is in it, the most important of the year, time is celebrate the heart of a wealthy Jew!

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_of_Arimathea#section_1

The Brigadier

Can I nominate the Holy Father himself, Pope Benedict XVI

tommy2bad

The Brigadier wrote: »

Can I nominate the Holy Father himself, Pope Benedict XVI

No
Ah go on, he's not the worst of them. And his predessor did a good job too.
Maybe not men for their times but somehow JP2 managed to inspire people with his humility.
Benny gets bad press and unjustified bad press at that. He is one of my dinner party guests, you know the imaginary dinner party where you get to have anyone living or dead.

The Brigadier

The Holy Father brought me back to the Church.

I firmly believe that he is exactly what the Church needs in this age. Liberalism drove me personally away from the Church. I couldn't take a faith seriously that didn't know what it believed in. Such were the problems of Catholicism in Ireland from the 90s onwards.

lmaopml

tommy2bad wrote: »

No
Ah go on, he's not the worst of them. And his predessor did a good job too.
Maybe not men for their times but somehow JP2 managed to inspire people with his humility.
Benny gets bad press and unjustified bad press at that. He is one of my dinner party guests, you know the imaginary dinner party where you get to have anyone living or dead.

Tommy, JPII and Pope Benedict were/are good men, not perfect, very human, but perfectly humble servants that only serve the people of God - we're lucky to have em imo.

One represents the idea of unity and recognition of all the common people, the other represents the anchor in a storm. Both were good friends, and tbh Pope Benedict writings on Jesus - let's not forget that the Church is about Jesus - are fabulous.

The 'Historical' figure comes to life in his book 'Jesus of Nazareth' so too does the incredible beauty and wisdom of the centuries, he's not a controversial or opinionated character, just somebody who shares both his humanity and his joy of Christ - The guy is a pretty cool Christian, red shoes and all

tommy2bad

lmaopml I'm with you on that, a man who seems out of place as pope tbh and far too intellectual to be paraphrased by tabloid jurnos.

psychic-hack

Rob Clarke, CEO of Christian radio station, Spirit Radio. His life blog every morning is such an inspiration.

Benny_Cake

tommy2bad wrote: »

lmaopml I'm with you on that, a man who seems out of place as pope tbh and far too intellectual to be paraphrased by tabloid jurnos.

I wouldn't be his biggest fan, but he seems like a fish out of water at times, he doesn't have the pastoral skills of his predecessor but there's no doubt that he has a great intellect - I think his natural environment would be that of a university. I'd have loved to have been at the private dinner he had with Hans Kung some years back!

Benny_Cake

Two other local heroes worthy of a mention - Brother Kevin and his fellow Capuchins who serve the poor and homeless in Dublin and makes sure no one goes away hungry, regardless of who they are. Also, when I was growing up, the local COI vicar (don't want to name him!) walked the Wicklow Way to raise funds for a resource centre for the Catholic parish. A truly ecumenical gesture which earned him a standing ovation when he gave a moving sermon at Mass on his return. In a small way he helped break down barriers between Christians in the community.

tommy2bad

Benny_Cake wrote: »

Two other local heroes worthy of a mention - Brother Kevin and his fellow Capuchins who serve the poor and homeless in Dublin and makes sure no one goes away hungry, regardless of who they are. Also, when I was growing up, the local COI vicar (don't want to name him!) walked the Wicklow Way to raise funds for a resource centre for the Catholic parish. A truly ecumenical gesture which earned him a standing ovation when he gave a moving sermon at Mass on his return. In a small way he helped break down barriers between Christians in the community.

Thats Christ in action, what Christianity is supposed to be.

gimmebroadband

Another Priest that should never be forgotten is Father Thomas Byles, who refused to leave passengers on the Titanic. Thought it apt to mention him on the 100th anniversary of that devastating disaster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-17583535

Manach

Mother Angelia, for the impact her work has today.
Grand Master de Valette, for demonstrating that tuning the other cheek is an option if wearing a helmet.
Finally, the numerous clergy when I was growing up, who showed a spirit of Catholic service to the community.

lmaopml

gimmebroadband wrote: »

Another Priest that should never be forgotten is Father Thomas Byles, who refused to leave passengers on the Titanic. Thought it apt to mention him on the 100th anniversary of that devastating disaster.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-essex-17583535

We're heading up to Belfast this August to see the new museum - I can't wait, there's something about the people on Titanic that touches everybody, it brought out the very best and very worst in people in a matter of hours - saw the exhibition in City West last year in Dublin where they displayed various personal items that had been recovered from the wreck - it was odd looking at those small personal belongings of those who were setting sail, in many cases to a new life. On the way in you got a ticket and were given a passengers identity - my little guy was the Priest you got to see whether you actually survived at the end of the exhibition. Lord rest their souls -

Doc Farrell

There's quite a few people I've been meaning to add to this list but just for tonight I want to add this quote for Jack Kerouac, hardly a saint but certainly inspirational.


…beat doesn’t mean tired or bushed or beat up so much as it

means beato, the Italian for beatific: to be in a state of beatitude,

like St. Francis, trying to love all life, trying to be utterly sincere

with everyone, practicing endurance, kindness, cultivating joy of

heart. (The question is), how can this be done in our mad modern

world of multiplicities and millions?…



Peter Gilmour teaches at Loyola University in Chicago and, in his article entitled “Blessed are the Beatniks,” he claimed that

Kerouac was enchanted by the mysticism of the Beatitudes. Kerouac was a deeply religious writer who once responded to a question about the theme of his book, On the Road, by saying, “It really was a story about two Catholic buddies roaming the country in search of God. And we found him.”

Taken from this sermon:

http://www.firstpresjamestown.com/2008Sermons/beat_goes_on.htm

Please forgive the beatnik use of tabs! Internet problems!

Doc Farrell

The Nationwide documentary on the Kerryman Monsignor Hugh O'Flaherty is still on the RTE player for a few more days.
I would encourage anyone to watch this documentary as it will restore your faith, in people at least!
A truly great man.

santing

To mention two Irish guys:
Gideon Ouseley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gideon_Ouseley
Robert Anderson http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Anderson_(Scotland_Yard_official)