CHOOSING BETWEEN TOLSTOY AND JEHOVAH

As the world teetered on the verge of war, a split occurred in one of the largest congregations in Yugoslavia. Some had begun to advocate the views of the Russian writer and religious philosopher Leo Tolstoy. Once a member of the Russian Orthodox Church, Tolstoy became convinced that all Christian churches were corrupt institutions that had thoroughly falsified Christianity. Some of the brothers adopted this mistrust of all religious organizations and became dissatisfied with Jehovah’s organization. Abusing the trust given to him, the brother taking the lead in the Zagreb Congregation succeeded in persuading most of the publishers to accept Tolstoy’s views. So strong was the brother’s influence that the majority of the congregation, more than 60 members, adopted a resolution to renounce Jehovah’s organization.

When Rudolf Kalle heard of this, he hastily traveled from Belgrade to Zagreb to meet with the whole congregation. He discussed basic Bible truths that Jehovah had revealed through the faithful and discreet slave class. (Matt. 24:45-47) He then asked: “Who taught you these truths? Tolstoy or Jehovah’s organization?” Quoting Joshua 24:15, Rudolf asked those who wanted to stay with Jehovah’s organization to raise their hands. Only two did so.

“It was inexpressibly painful,” said Rudolf.

It looked as if all the good that had been accomplished in the congregation was about to be lost.

Rudolf then invited the two faithful ones to come up to the platform and said: “Only three of us remain. We now represent Jehovah’s people in this city. I would like to ask all others to leave the room and go their own way. Please, leave us alone! We want to serve our God, Jehovah, and you can go and serve your Tolstoy. We do not want to associate with you any longer.”

For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then, one after another started to raise their hand and say: “I also want to serve Jehovah.” In the end, only the apostate congregation servant and a few of his followers left the room. This test of loyalty fortified Jehovah’s faithful servants for the far more severe trials they would soon face.

The office in Belgrade was closed down, and the distribution of spiritual food to the brothers was organized at Zagreb, Croatia. Because fines and imprisonments were replaced with concentration camps and death sentences, discretion and secrecy became ever more vital.

When German forces both occupied and divided Yugoslavia, concentration camps were established. In Croatia these camps were used to isolate and murder several ethnic and non-Catholic minorities as well as any religious opponents of the regime.

Stevan Stanković, a railroad worker of Serbian descent, proved ready to help his brothers regardless of their background. Despite the danger, Stevan took on the task of secretly taking literature from Croatia to military-occupied Serbia. One day the police discovered literature in a suitcase he was carrying. They demanded to know where the literature came from. Loyal to his brothers, though, Stevan refused to divulge the information. The police took him to a prison for questioning and then transferred him to the nearby concentration camp at Jasenovac. Known for its brutality, this camp claimed the life of our faithful brother.

Mihovil Balković, a discreet and resourceful brother, worked as a plumber in Croatia during those troublesome times. In addition to his secular work, he visited the brothers to encourage them and to deliver literature. “On one occasion,” relates his grandson, “he learned that the train on which he was traveling was to be searched at the next town. So he exited the train one stop earlier than he had planned. Although most of the town was surrounded by barbed wire, he found an opening through a vineyard. He carried the literature in his backpack, and put two bottles of rakija (homemade brandy) in the upper compartment along with some groceries. While cautiously walking through the vineyard, he passed a bunker and suddenly a soldier yelled: ‘Stop! Who are you?’ When he moved closer, one of the soldiers asked, ‘What are you carrying?’

“‘A little bit of flour, some beans, and some potatoes,’ he replied.

“When asked what he had in the bottles, he said, ‘Smell it and take a taste.’

“When the soldier tasted it, Mihovil said, ‘This bottle is for you, my son, and the other one is for me.’

“Satisfied with his answer and the rakija, the soldiers responded, ‘Old man, you can go!’

“So,” concludes Mihovil’s grandson, “the literature was delivered safely.”

Mihovil was certainly courageous. His travels took him through areas controlled by opposing sides of the war. At times, Mihovil was face-to-face with the Communist Partisan soldiers; and on other occasions, he faced the Fascist Ustašea or the Četnik soldiers. Instead of shrinking back, he used those opportunities to give a witness and explain the hope for the future that the Bible holds out. This took great courage because the life of a Witness was always in danger. Several times he was arrested, interrogated, and imprisoned.

Toward the end of the war, on the night of November 9, 1944, the Partisans raided Mihovil’s house, confiscated literature, and took Mihovil away. Sadly, he never returned. It was later learned that he was beheaded.

Josip Sabo was just a boy when he delivered literature in the Slavonia region of Croatia on his bicycle. For the baggage rack, he made a box to hold literature, which he then covered with fresh pears. At the time, the entrance of almost every village was barricaded and guarded.

“What do you have in the box?” the guards asked Josip at every post.

“Pears for my uncle,” he replied, and the soldiers would take one or two pears. As he neared his destination, there were fewer pears to cover the literature. So Josip took an abandoned path to save his last pears and the precious literature hidden underneath.

FAITHFUL TO THE LAST

Lestan Fabijan, a mason from Zagreb, shared the truth with Ivan Sever, Franjo Dreven, and Filip Huzek-Gumbazir. They were all baptized within six months and began preaching and holding meetings. On the evening of January 15, 1943, a military patrol came to Ivan Sever’s house to arrest him as well as Franjo Dreven and another brother, Filip Ilić. They searched the house, confiscated all the literature, and took the brothers away.

Lestan heard of the arrests, so he and Filip Huzek-Gumbazir went to comfort Franjo’s mother and sister. The Partisans, however, got wind of their visit and arrested both Lestan and Filip. The five brothers explained from the Bible that they served only Jehovah and showed that they were soldiers of Christ. Because they all refused to take up weapons and fight in the war, they were sentenced to death. They were then held captive.

One night the five brothers were awakened from their sleep, stripped of their clothes, and taken into the woods. As they walked, they were given the opportunity to change their minds. The soldiers tried to break the brothers’ determination by appealing to their love for their families. They spoke of Filip Huzek-Gumbazir’s pregnant wife and his four children. He replied that he was fully confident that Jehovah would care for them. Franjo Dreven had no wife and children, so they asked him who would care for his mother and sister.

Once they arrived at the designated place, the soldiers made the brothers stand in the winter cold. Then the executions began. First, they shot Filip Huzek-Gumbazir. Next the soldiers waited and asked if the others wanted to change their mind. The brothers, however, were resolute. So the soldiers executed Franjo, then Ivan, and then Lestan. Finally, Filip Ilić, the last one alive, compromised and agreed to join the soldiers. Three months later, though, he returned home because of illness and related what had happened. The life he had tried to save by compromising he lost prematurely as a result of sickness.