E-Connected Archive - June 2009
Opening hearts in closed lands
Five bullet shots in quick succession crack the stillness of the early morning. The lifeless body of a young woman falls to the ground, her blood soaking into the hard clay of the street. Later that day, her attackers justify the murder of a defenceless girl with the accusation that she has been ‘proselytising’: a charge quickly dismissed by all who knew her as unfounded.
The verb 'to proselytise' has been defined as ‘an attempt to try to coerce or convert someone from one religion, belief or opinion to another’. |
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But what exactly is it that Jesus has asked us to do? In His last words He tells us to “Go and make disciples of all nations... teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Mathew 28). The Greek word ‘proselyte’ refers to a stranger or foreigner who chooses to live among the people of faith and to join with them in worship. The implication is that of an invitation extended and accepted, an opportunity offered and gladly received.
Jesus tells the story of a great feast and a great pile of invitations. The Banquet promises to be quite literally the event of a lifetime, and is open to people from all faiths, all walks of life and from every period of history.
Salima first heard a rumour about the invitations when she was nine years old. For seventeen years she waited. Could the rumour be true? She dared not ask her questions out loud, knowing that in her extremely restrictive country questions about Jesus could easily result in imprisonment or even death.
One day she met an English girl in a coffee shop and they struck up a conversation. The girl seemed to recognise the unspoken hunger in Salima’s eyes and asked her to help her with her language study by reading the Word of God in Salima’s own language. Salima didn’t hesitate to accept.
The next day she went to the English girl’s house. Her eyes were wide as she held her first copy of the Injil (New Testament). They began by reading Matthew. Salima would read a verse or two and then stop to pepper her new friend, Charis, with questions. They watched a film of the life of Jesus, and Charis taught her how to pray. They both watched with excitement as God provided a new home and a great job for Salima in response to their prayers.
Salima began to share her new faith with her family and her friends at work. Some of them began to study the Injil too, and they passed the invitation on to their friends. The small network of male and female seekers and new believers began to grow. The opportunity of a lifetime had come to their city and they didn’t want to miss out.
Gradually Charis introduced Salima to other believers in her city and a small group of women began to meet each week to worship Jesus and study His word. At times Salima would lead the study or pray for other women in the group who were struggling.
Worshipping Him was a dangerous delight, and Salima had to go into hiding to protect her life when she passed the invitation on to some colleagues at her office. The night before she was baptised, she discussed with Charis the possibility that she might be killed for possessing and handing out invitations to the Banquet.
Her calm exterior was betrayed by the tears rolling down her face as she said,
“I understand that I might be killed, but for an opportunity like this it’s a risk I’m willing to take.”