Huldrych Zwingli once scandalized Catholic authorities by eating sausages during Lent.
Story Category: Historical Figure
Tilling the Earth to Feed a Stranger: Walafrid
In the first thousand years of the church, monks sometimes planted gardens to share treats with visitors. Walafrid even wrote poetry about it!
Feeding the Hungry: Basil of Caesarea
In the 360s, Basil of Caesara, a bishop, spent his own money to buy food for the starving poor during a famine.
History of Vacation Bible School: D.T. Miles
Vacation Bible School was started by D.T. Miles in 1894!
Tea & Cookies with Protestors: Desmond Tutu
Desmond Tutu was still trying to bring down Apartheid in the mid-eighties. The powers that be hired protestors to try to smear Tutu, but he ended up sharing a tea party with them.
A Martyr to End Slavery: Rev. Elijah Parish Lovejoy
Elijah Parish Lovejoy was a minister and journalist who felt called to fight slavery. He refused to stop speaking out, to stop writing, to give up his cause. He was murdered by a pro-slavery mob.
Finding Peace and Befriending Bears: Seraphim of Sarov
In the late 18th-early 19th centuries, Seraphim of Sarov fasted, prayed, and meditated for decades. He became a miracle worker, a source of peace, and a friend of bears.
Mary Magdalene is (Probably) Not Who You Think She Is
Mary Magdalene was not a fallen temptress. She witnessed the resurrection, was the apostle to the apostles, and likely continued in leadership in the early church.
A Faith that Braves Lions: Thecla
A legend of faithfulness from the early church:
Herod’s Drive for Power
Herod was ruthless and violent in his quest for power long before Jesus was born.