Stones in the Stream

History has a flow to it. Not that there aren’t seemingly random unconnected events that happen throughout history, but from a big picture perspective, there is a cause-and-effect progression of events over a long-term horizon. The sixth-century Greek philosopher Heraclitus of Ephesus is remembered for formulating the doctrine of change being central in the universe. He is also the individual who first postulated that “you cannot step twice into the same river.” The primary creator of this change is the passage of time. Stepping into a river from the same spot on the shoreline on two occasions five minutes apart is not stepping into the same river. The water molecules, fish, twigs, leaves, and other debris floating in the river in front of you are not the same as what was present when you started the aquatic excursion minutes ago—even if the change to your human senses is imperceptible.

History itself has been described as a river meandering forever forward with the passage of time. Just like any stream, this flow of history does not proceed in a straight line unaltered by the terrain it covers and the natural objects that it encounters. A stream that encounters a large boulder will be redirected around it, causing whirlpools and eroding part of one bank and building up residue on the other and eventually altering its path. Smaller stones may only cause a ripple in the water, but if several collect together, they can cause a similar effect as the boulder. Eventually, stones can catch branches and other debris, and if left unimpeded, these can begin to dam up the stream, causing it to overflow its banks and creating an entirely different course.

People are the stones in the stream of history. A small handful of individuals are the boulders of history. The impact they have is significant enough that they change the course of history by their individual actions. Others are stones the size of a man’s fist. They certainly make their presence known in the stream as the water bounces off them and cascades over the top. Many others are just a little larger than pebbles, and the current courses over them with just the smallest of ripples. The vast majority of individuals are more like grains of sand on the bottom of the stream. History will glide over them, often sweeping them along with the flow. That is not to say that every life is not precious and fulfilling, but rather I’m saying that the destiny of many is to lead quite lives impacting only those, such as family, with whom they come in direct contact with.

In this book I am looking at the flow of Christian history, and I am looking at His story—the story of the faith named after the God incarnate Jesus Christ. In one sense, all of history is God’s story. I believe in an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent creator God who has control over every aspect of His created world. And He acts in direct and indirect ways to alter the course of that history. As Jesus said in Matthew 10:28–30, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

It is God who selects someone to impact the story of faith. Some He may gift with great intelligence or leadership skills. Many others are as ordinary as any man on the street, but He brings circumstances into their lives and calls them to act faithfully in obedience to Him, thereby using them as tools of change.

A few of the people selected for this book would undoubtedly be considered boulders of the Christian faith. They have had such an impact that their names are known by even casual readers of church history even a millennium after their deaths. Athanasius, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas are some such examples.

Others would be sizable stones but not as widely recognized across all branches of Christianity. John Knox, Menno Simmons, and Francis Asbury are all examples of individuals whose actions resulted in the formation and spread of particular denominations but likely would not be well known outside their particular denomination.

Others actually had a significant impact on culture and religion during their lifetime but have faded in memory to all but the most avid readers of church history. Polycarp, Columbanus, and Girolamo Savanarola might fall into these categories.

Still others were not well known during their lifetimes, and even the most avid reader of church history would not have heard of them. Yet in their own dynamic way, they were used as faithful servants to accomplish the task God set before them and are worth knowing. Ramon Lull, Isaac Milner, and Lilias Trotter would be examples of these individuals.

Regardless of their perceived popularity to the Christian community at large, the men and women selected for inclusion in this book all have one thing in common—an amazing ability to follow the first great commandment to love the Lord with their hearts, souls, minds, and strength. Because of that love, they accomplished great things in His name. As a result of this love, they impacted the course of Christian history and became champions for orthodoxy in belief when the world around them looked to be slipping away toward heresy and unbelief.

The short biographies of these individuals are laid out in chronological fashion starting with Polycarp, a disciple of the apostle John, and concluding with Edith Schaeffer, who only recently passed away. There has also been an attempt to orient these individuals within the general cultural and religious settings in which they were born. The hope is to not only provide insights into the twenty-two individuals selected in particular but also show the greater flow of church history from the apostolic period of the first century through contemporary times.