Ik deel het onderstaande verhaal van een jonge predikant uit Pakistan. Christenen vormen daar een kleine minderheid. Ze worden beschouwd als tweederangsburgers, gediscrimineerd en onderdrukt. Er komt ook veel geweld tegen christenen voor. Als het bekend wordt dat een christen moslim wordt krijgt zo iemand het zwaar te verduren. Vrijwel alle christenen in Pakistan worden geconfronteerd met discriminatie, sociale druk en bedreigingen. Ze hebben vaak de slechtst betaalde banen. Velen van hen zijn arm of lijden onder dwangarbeid. Kerken die vanouds in Pakistan voorkomen, zijn nog enigszins vrij in hun activiteiten. Maar ze worden scherp in de gaten gehouden, en niet alleen door de overheid. De grootste bedreiging vormen radicale islamitische groeperingen.
In het afgelopen jaar zijn er geen aanslagen op kerken geweest. Andere vormen van geweld tegen christenen komen onverminderd veel voor. Christenen zijn daarom constant op hun hoede. Vaak zeggen ze maar niets over hun geloof, uit angst dat hun woorden worden uitgelegd als belediging van de islam. Een beschuldiging van godslastering kan leiden tot langdurige gevangenschap of de dood. Via facebook kwam ik in contact met Anjum Shahzad. Hij werd pastor maar heeft geen kerkelijke gemeente. Hieronder vinden jullie zijn bizarre verhaal.
I Am telling you my story, which is based on reality
My troubles started from my mother’s womb,
When i was in my mother’s womb i had water with
Me, after nine months i was born with a major
Operation,
Because i had been in the water for nine months
in my mother’s womb, i had about an inch of hair
All over my body.
the doctors told my father that a baby monkey
had been born. the stomach water had gone into my lungs
in my mother womb,
My father was alone at three o’clock in the night
carrying me on his arms and crying a broken heart
he was crying in front of the doctors. some doctor
save my son life,
Because two of my siblings had died before i was born,
my father and my mother believed in Jesus Christ
and they referred me to the doctors
for six days the doctor kept pumping water out
Of my lungs my mother and my father kept crying
and praying to God for my life
few days later i was taken to my mother in the ward
Now i had a beautiful face the lord brought me at the mouth of
death
i grew up but when i was four years old my stomach got
bad i was admitted to the hospital where i had another
problem nurse give me the wrong injection which made me
very badly sick my condition became very bad i had stopped breathing
and my mother lost her consciousness
the doctor tried so hard to save me, day and night.
after three days i regained consciousness.
My parents thanked to God, when God will nothing
can happen to him
then i grew up i was about twelve years old.
i stopped obeying my parents because i was so sick
i was reprimanded by my parents i forgot to
respect them because of their kindness and love
and i started to move towards bad society
my friends nomadic and high class people and they
took my life with them i all day watching movies
and drinking alcohol and sleeping home every time
then going out with friends in the evening
and hanging out with boys all night
when i was 17 years old i started bothering my parents
and hurting them and my sister crying and praying to God for me
May God would change my brother Anjum but i don’t believe on God
most of time i abuse God i never want to became a Pastor,
I always want to be a film hero when i grew up
I fulfilled my dreams and desire, i didn’t listen to anyone
then all of a sudden things changed in my life
my sister got sick, and after while she died
and i could not forget her grief
there was no way no friend to come and see me
i was starting to ask God please come in my life
And give me comfort and change my life
Just for the first time, i said that God on your way
i want to walk
and God changed my life and i kept on praying
and then i join Bible school i done my B T H three years
and i starting Preaching the Gospel in peoples homes,
i did not know how to Preach but God taught me
i always said God i can’t even speak but God said
i am with you wherever you Go
i will be with you and you will speak
Many lives were healed,The childless had child
the captives were freed those who were not in
God, they give their lives to the Lord,
i would like to share
many thing with you
but if the Lord will i share with you
Now i am Preaching the word of God
in a somebody house where many peoples
have healed and lives changed,
God is working in there lives
But we need a church building
we don’t have so much money
It’s a appeal to all my Christians
Please help us financially so we
Can build the church building
of the Lord and many lives
come to God and repent from their sins
and God word will be spread in there lives
God bless you from Pastor Anjum Shahzad
Lahore Pakistan,
Deze man heeft niet eens een bankrekening, maar misschien kunnen we hem toch helpen. Dit is zijn verhaal! Hij heeft in de eerste plaats ons gebed nodig.
