Family Faith Reflections from Chris

“Saint Kragon.” No matter how you say it, this saint has a fun name. (Does it rhyme with “dragon?” Or with “crayon?” Or maybe “Kraken?” Who knows!) Continuing this series on lesser-known saints from different parts of the world, we get St. Kragon, a North African saint who was probably of Arab descendent.


Kragon wasn’t an especially important man during his life. He became Christian a little later in life and, as was common in those days, retired into the desert to live as a hermit. This life of simplicity and solitude allowed many early Christians to focus on prayer without the distractions of other people around.
 
However, a Roman emperor named Diocletian began rounding up the Christians and throwing them in jail. When Kragon heard that his friends were being arrested he left his desert home and went to argue on their behalf. It must not have gone very well because the Romans arrested Kragon, too! But that’s where his story gets really interesting.


Diocletian wanted the Christians to renounce their faith and worship the Roman gods instead. To make that happen he would sometimes have the imprisoned Christians tortured. Kragon was himself tortured — but none of it worked! Red hot pokers wouldn’t burn him. Iron spikes wouldn’t break his skin. Nothing! Finally, the soldiers took him to their boss, the governor Justus, and explained that nothing they did could hurt him.
 
Justus asked Kragon how he had become miraculously invincible. Kragon said, “Let me tell you the story of how it happened.” He then told the story of Jesus, who was God-become-human and who died and rose from the grave. By the time he finished the story, Justus had become a believer — and so had the soldiers! He ordered Kragon set free and then, before returning to his desert, Kragon baptized Justus and the very soldiers who had tried to torture him.


This week, let’s all pray that the Spirit will help us share the love of Jesus with people who have treated us unfairly, just like Kragon did. Maybe our forgiveness will help
others come to believe in Jesus, too!