Waldensian History – Part 1

I originally started writing Echoes on the Rock because of a challenge given by Ruta Sepetys. At the end of her book Salt to the Sea, she invited readers to research and write the lost stories of the past. This challenge jogged something in me. I remembered the stories I had grown up with of my Waldensian ancestors.

For centuries the Waldensians (or Vaudois, which means people of the valleys) had lived and carved out a living in the northern mountains and narrow valleys of Piedmont, Italy. They held to what they believed was the true religion of Jesus Christ. They had written copies of the scriptures, which they passed down from generation to generation. From these scriptures, they taught their children and grandchildren.

It is remarkable that this community not only studied the bible in their homes but memorized large portions in case somebody should take it from them. They were focused on living Christ-centered lives and bravely standing up to those who would oppress them. They read and interpreted the scriptures for themselves at a time in history when that was unheard of. Most common people could not read, and the Catholic bishops and priests told them what was in the scriptures. Also, clergy conducted religious services in Latin rather than the local language. The result was that most people relied on the church for their religious instruction and belief.

The Waldensians were different than the masses. And because they stood out, they were often the target of persecution.

Echoes on the Rock begins in 1487, when the Roman Catholic Church is sorely persecuting the Waldensians. It was a time when heretics were hunted down and imprisoned, tortured, or burned at the stake. Perhaps this is distant history, but I cannot help but see that we still find ways to bully, attack, or even kill those we fear—those who look or believe differently. If we can gain anything from history, I hope it is a renewed appreciation that we have all been the victim at some time and the oppressor at others. Knowing this, it is our job to do better.