Zabeth and Paul Bayne – Part 70 – The Bayne Campaign for Justice

It’s December 26th and it is St. Stephen’s Day. The day is more familiarly known as Boxing Day in Canada and a few other countries. It was perhaps during the Middle Ages 800 years ago in the UK that collection boxes for the poor were opened in churches so the contents might be distributed to needy people. This tradition continues in some churches. Similar collections in Holland were contained in earthenware pottery shaped like pigs and it is surmised that this was the origin of the term ‘piggy bank’.

A familiar carol tells the story of King Wenceslas called ‘good’, because he looked out on the Feast of Stephen on a snowy day and spotted a poor man gathering fire wood. The King asked his page who this man was and when he was told who he was and where he lived, the king did something generous and exemplary. He and his page took meats and foods and firewood and trudged through the blowing snow to this poor man’s residence to offer him a feast to remember. The frigid temperatures made the page want to give up but the saintly monarch was undaunted and told the page simply to follow his steps. Their unselfish gesture would soon make them warm.

"Mark my footsteps, good my page. Tread thou in them boldly
Thou shalt find the winter's rage freeze thy blood less coldly."

In his master's steps he trod, where the snow lay dinted;
Heat was in the very sod which the saint had printed.
Therefore, Christian men, be sure, wealth or rank possessing,
Ye who now will bless the poor, shall yourselves find blessing.”

That’s the spirit of community concern, accountability for one’s wealth and a sense of responsibility for those less fortunate at the moment, that thoughts of Christmas invoke. We will all agree that philanthropy and sacrifice doesn’t need to be limited to one season of each year. Paul and Zabeth Bayne will soon need the generosity of friends and supporters to aid them with legal expenses as they struggle to recover their children. I will tell you more later.