My father has this recent obsession with reading and watching things on the internet. While it is for educational purposes, both of God and things happening in the world, he sometimes stumbles upon things that make you "say what". He does find great things also though, like the bible college I wish to attend and this story i'm about to tell.
We were watching a baptist pastor preach an undeniably touching message about what it means to be a christian. It was a great, powerful message, that only got greater. You see, he was yelling and weeping about how Americans claim to be Christians but do not allow their "Christianity" to work in them. To prove his point, he told the story of a little boy he came across during a mission trip to Peru.
This little boy, sadly unnameable, came running up the street screaming "I can't do it!". Immediately after came a group of adult men, chasing this poor boy. It did not take long for the men to catch him, throwing him on the ground as they did. The boy kept yelling "I can't do it, I can't!", each time earning him an even harder beating. Bloody, begging for his life, the men could barely be heard. You wouldn't have guessed what they wanted him to do, until his final shout: "Please don't kill me, but please, I can't deny Jesus Christ". The little boy was beat to death in the street, as people around him watched and refused to help.
By now, you're probably wondering how this story is, in any sense, beautiful. I'll admit, hearing a weeping older man tell this story made me weep, also. But the beauty goes way beyond a little boys death (seriously, that's just sick!). It was the reason he felt it worth dying. He was so dedicated and in love with Jesus, he accepted whatever would be done to him, in the name of his Lord's love. I tell you, his death made him the luckiest boy in the world- He died in the name of the Jesus, and was immediately sent to Jesus' side.
How many Americans can actually say this would be their death of choice? Of them, who are dedicated enough to carry this out? In America, most of us aren't even willing to follow Jesus' word, never mind taking it to the point of death! Has not anyone heard "dying in the place of one you love"? So why not die FOR the one you love? If it were me, standing on a street corner preaching the gospel and a group of men held a gun to my head and told me to leave I WOULD SAY NO. If it got me killed I would keep preaching all the more. Jesus died for me. I would GLADLY die for him. If an nine-year-old boy understands a love that deep.......that's just too amazing for words.
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