Stories

Christians who gave mercy.

Jesus said that whatever we do for the least of these, we do for him. These are true stories of people who took him at his word.

Matthew 25:36

“I was sick, and ye visited me”

Christians who cared for the sick when others ran.

AD 250-362 · Alexandria (Egypt); Carthage (North Africa) How did Christians help during plagues? Dionysius of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage AD 368-390 · Caesarea in Cappadocia (Turkey); Rome Who started the first hospitals? Basil of Caesarea, Fabiola of Rome 1948-2005 · London (England) Who was Cicely Saunders? Cicely Saunders, David Tasma 1873-1889 · Kalaupapa, Molokai, Hawaii Who was Father Damien of Molokai? Father Damien, Marianne Cope 1854-1910 · Scutari (Istanbul, Turkey); London (England) Who was Florence Nightingale? Florence Nightingale
Matthew 25:36

“I was in prison, and ye came unto me”

Christians who went to the people everyone else forgot.

1813-1845 · Newgate prison, London (England) Who was Elizabeth Fry? Elizabeth Fry 1773-1790 · Bedford (England); prisons across Europe; Kherson (Ukraine) Who was John Howard, the prison reformer? John Howard
Matthew 25:35

“I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat”

Christians who fed the hungry.

1865-1912 · East London (England) Who started the Salvation Army? William Booth, Catherine Booth 1933-1980 · New York City (United States) Who was Dorothy Day? Dorothy Day, Peter Maurin 1207-1231 · Wartburg castle, Thuringia (Germany); Marburg (Germany) Who was Elisabeth of Hungary? Elisabeth of Hungary, Ludwig IV of Thuringia 1617-1660 · Châtillon-les-Dombes and Paris (France) Who was Vincent de Paul? Vincent de Paul, Louise de Marillac
Matthew 25:35

“I was a stranger, and ye took me in”

Christians who welcomed people far from home.

1940-1944 · Le Chambon-sur-Lignon, Haute-Loire (France) What happened in Le Chambon-sur-Lignon? André Trocmé, Magda Trocmé, Daniel Trocmé, the people of the Plateau 1940-2005 · Taizé, Burgundy (France) Who was Brother Roger of Taizé? Brother Roger (Roger Schutz), Geneviève Schutz 1942-1983 · Haarlem (Netherlands); Ravensbrück (Germany) Who was Corrie ten Boom? Corrie ten Boom, Betsie ten Boom, Casper ten Boom
Mark 10:14

“Suffer the little children to come unto me”

Christians who took in children nobody else would.

1836-1898 · Bristol (England) Who was George Müller? George Müller, Mary Müller 1932-1970 · Yangcheng, Shanxi (China); Xi'an (China); Taipei (Taiwan) Who was Gladys Aylward? Gladys Aylward, Jeannie Lawson 1866-1905 · East London (England) Who was Thomas Barnardo? Thomas Barnardo, Jim Jarvis, John Somers
Luke 4:18

“To preach deliverance to the captives”

Christians who helped people out of slavery and chains.

1849-1913 · Dorchester County, Maryland; Philadelphia; Auburn, New York (United States) Who was Harriet Tubman? Harriet Tubman 1785-1833 · London and Hull (England) Who was William Wilberforce? William Wilberforce, John Newton, Thomas Clarkson
Matthew 5:44

“Love your enemies”

Christians who showed mercy across the lines of war.

December 1914 · Flanders (Belgium) and northern France What was the Christmas truce of 1914? British, French and German soldiers on the Western Front 1859-1901 · Solferino and Castiglione (Italy); Geneva (Switzerland) Who started the Red Cross? Henry Dunant, the women of Castiglione 1942-1945 · Okinawa (Japan); Lynchburg, Virginia (United States) Who was Desmond Doss? Desmond Doss