By Grant Dutro

Note: Watch A Hidden Life Before Reading

“When you give up the idea of surviving at any price, a new light floods in.”

In Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life, Franz (August Diehl) and his story reminded me a bit of Marinus of Caesarea. A Roman soldier who had secretly converted to Christianity, Marinus was being promoted to the title of centurion, and in order to accept the position, he had to make a sacrifice to Caesar. After confessing his untold faith, Marinus was given three hours to reflect and make a choice: Praise Caesar and become a decorated military leader, or die. 

Marinus consulted the bishop Theotecnus during that time. The bishop, to aid the poor soldier with his decision, presented Marinus with two objects: a sword and the written Gospels. Franz, like Marinus, was given the same decision, perhaps with even less glory to obtain. Extol the tyrant as god and shed innocent blood for his glory, or die by believing in the Truth. 

Both chose Christ, and both were beheaded.

Franz’s lawyer tells him to sign a paper—giving his allegiance to Hitler—and he will be free. Franz responds swiftly: “But I am free.” That’s the power of Christian martyrdom. By willingly—not voluntarily—undergoing suffering and execution at the hands of earthly power, the martyr flips the scale. In Christ, one conquers the unconquerable: death. To earthly power, death is the only threat, the only unknown, the only thing to be feared. In Christ, death becomes promotion to glory.* 

Franz, in his life hidden with Christ, rejected the sword and defied an order that made the world shudder, without any earthly gain to be perceived. As Fani (Valerie Pachner), Franz’s widowed wife, reflects, we won’t know the full glory of his faith until we do. Until we are “completely bound in inner union with the Lord.”

I cannot wait for The Way of the Wind.

*I first heard the story of Marinus and this explanation of Christian martyrdom from Dr. George Kalantzis while participating in the Wheaton in the Holy Lands program.