Norbert Čapek was ahead of his time in many respects. A minister who had grown tired of tradition, he delivered sermons on a wide breadth of subjects, and removed pieces of the standard liturgy. His congregation in the 1920’s was in dismay over this radical change, and started to grumble for more ritual. To appease the congregation, he gave them flower communion, a ritual we celebrate to this day which honors the beauty of each individual.

Čapek’s gospel of human beauty and the celebration of diversity which 20 years earlier was uplifting and nonthreatening,, was seen as a threat to the Nazi agenda during World War II. He was taken from his congregation in Prague, and imprisoned in a concentration camp, where he later died as one of our martyrs.

Which seeds of dissent are we sowing knowingly or unknowingly? Come Sunday, as we behold the beauty of this hour.