Short Story 4 - The Pardon of Grace
Once upon a time there lived a man, in India. He was newly married. He was a poor man who somehow made ends meet. He worked in a factory and his wife worked as a daily wages laborer in the field. He was highly superstitious and believed in special times, good times and bad times as dictated by the Hindu Calender. The new moon day is considered an inauspicious day. It meant darkness or bad omen. This did not bear much on his life till the day his first child was born. His wife gave birth to his son a new moon day. It was not just a new moon night but also an inauspicious part of the inauspicious day. So the astrologer cum priest whom they regularly consulted, advised him to discard the child as he saw the child as a bad omen to be dealt with.
Adhering strictly to the advice of his astrologer, they discarded the new born in a dust bin in an urban area during the small hours of the day. This child was picked up a Muslim butcher, who brought him up and fed him. But when he was 12 years old, the butcher started teaching him how to kill goats and later how to kill bulls. He stopped the boy's schooling and employed him in his business. He named him Mohammed Abdullah and Mohammed Abdullah grew up as a Muslim. But he did not know the other side of his step father Wasim Khan. He was professional killer, who murdered for as low as 100$. When Abdul was 16, Wasim took him along for his murder trip. When he had attacked the man and the time came for him to finish him off, he gave the dagger to Abdul and commanded him to plunge it into the victim's heart. It was Abdul's first murder. Then he started accompanying Wasim and his head count increased and Wasim soon retired and gave the responsibility wholly to Abdul.
After a month, Wasim Khan gets killed in a revenge attack by the companion of one his victims. Abdul continued to chop up both cattle and people. He became notorious as a reliable killer who finishes the job with less pay. As his fame grew, the police start focusing on him. They target him and trap him. The 'honey trap' him using a female police officer. They arrest him and throw him into remand custody. During the trail, the judge finds that there are no witnesses to witness against him and so he is released. Within a month he is again arrested for a different murder but this time he gets convicted and is send to Puzhal jail, a maximum security prison. In the jail, he becomes a terror among the prisoners. Prisoners, Wardens and even the Jailer become terrorized by his crooked practises. One day, he secretly places narcotics inside a policeman's bad and get his suspended. After this particular case, it came to light that as to how the narcotic reached the policeman's bad and Abdul gets sent to 'isolation'. In the isolation, he is frustrated and gets physically tortured by the policemen there.
After two weeks in isolation cell, he was transferred to a different prison.
where he devised a plan to escape and was successful. But after a week on the run, he was arrested and then thrown into another maximum security prison in a different state. He served time there and tried planting narcotics into a policeman's bag. This times he was caught red handed and was again sent to isolation for a month. The court declares him a menace to the society as evidence accumulated proving his involvement in multiple murders. The count stands at ten. Ten murders, multiple assaults, thefts and intimidation charges gets filed against him. As the witnesses became forth coming, Abdul was convicted for at least four murders along with few other charges. He gets sentenced to a life term with hard labor and isolation.
A group of Christians miraculously get permission to start a moral story telling sessions on a weekly basis on Sundays in the prison.Their leader started his ministry, because he believed God had called him to serve prisoner's and their families. Abdul was permitted to attend these sessions and this is the only time he is allowed to enter or interact with the outside world, inside the jail. As he attended
these sessions he heard every week certain phrases which caught his attention. The preacher kept repeating this phrase, 'No matter what you have done, Jesus loves you', 'He alone can give you new life. He will forgive all your crimes'. This message started to seep into his brain. After hearing this for about two months, Abdul came forward and asked preacher"what do you mean,'Jesus loves you'. I know for sure nobody can love me and nobody loves me. What makes you say that Jesus loves me?' The preacher started his answer, and as he started he thought, 'This is what I was waiting for' and as he sighed, blurted out a 'Thank you Jesus' in the deep recess of his mind.
The preacher enquired his name and said, "Abdul, God came into the world as Jesus so that he can show his love towards sinners. He has proved his love for you by dying for you on the cross. He has paid the penalty for your sins. Even though you may never get out of this prison and even though the world may never accept you, if you repent and believe in Jesus, he will forgive you all our sins, he will accept you as his child and when you die you will not come under condemnation for any of the crimes you have committed. This is the good news Jesus has called me to share with you. He will give you new life and change you into a new man." Abdul thanked the preacher. But the preacher continued. "Why don't you give your life to Christ? Why don't you accept him as your personal saviour and Lord? How can you deny this offer of God?"
Abdul again thanked the preacher and replied, "I will think about it". In the isolation of his cell, the words of the preacher and the hope of getting forgiveness for all his crimes attracted Abdul. Even as he questioned this on one side, on the other hand he was becoming
all the more open and receptive to this 'good news'.
The next Sunday, after hearing the message, the preacher gave an alter call and Abdul was the first one on the alter all eager to receive the gift of new life which Jesus offers. As he repeated the preacher's prayer, a deep peace which he has never known before descended on him. A new satisfaction and hope crept into him and was given a strong assurance from above that his sins have been forgiven he is no more a sinner or criminal or a convicted murdered but the child of God.None
of the prison officials believed what had happened. They wanted to see if it was true. Abdul regularly attended the weekly meetings. In order to check whether his profession or change of heart was true. They allowed him to mingle with the inmates during dinner time for 20 minutes daily. Abdul started sharing about Jesus and how he has forgiven all his sins n how he now is a child of God.
On hearing the Gospel, a few of the inmates accepted Christ. The warden over time saw a remarkable change in their behaviour. As he allowed Abdul to mingle with other prisoners, they even reported that he is not responding to malignant provocation like he used to do before. They even reported that he has stopped smoking and using filthy language.
Abdul regularly attended the meeting and asked to be baptized. On his baptism service held a week later, the superintendent of prison and few other inmates too responded to an alter call and surrendered their life to Christ. After a month of baptism, Abdul now named Victor, was brought back to general prison from isolation. After a year, he was commended for his good behavior and his good influence on prisoners prompted the jail authorities to apply for presidential pardon. On August 15th of the next year, on the day that India became free from British colonial rule, Victor was released by a Presidential pardon.
The preacher invited him to his house and church. He started travelling around the state and shared his testimony. After five year of such ministry, God called Victor to pastor a village church. After accepting God's call, Victor now serves as a pastor of a village congregation. He is married and has two children.
The jail superintendent is now an evangelist. He has resigned his government job and is involved with his family in full time ministry.
"The serene silent beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world." --- Blaise Pascal
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:14
Note: This short story is based on real life incidents and persons.
Adhering strictly to the advice of his astrologer, they discarded the new born in a dust bin in an urban area during the small hours of the day. This child was picked up a Muslim butcher, who brought him up and fed him. But when he was 12 years old, the butcher started teaching him how to kill goats and later how to kill bulls. He stopped the boy's schooling and employed him in his business. He named him Mohammed Abdullah and Mohammed Abdullah grew up as a Muslim. But he did not know the other side of his step father Wasim Khan. He was professional killer, who murdered for as low as 100$. When Abdul was 16, Wasim took him along for his murder trip. When he had attacked the man and the time came for him to finish him off, he gave the dagger to Abdul and commanded him to plunge it into the victim's heart. It was Abdul's first murder. Then he started accompanying Wasim and his head count increased and Wasim soon retired and gave the responsibility wholly to Abdul.
After a month, Wasim Khan gets killed in a revenge attack by the companion of one his victims. Abdul continued to chop up both cattle and people. He became notorious as a reliable killer who finishes the job with less pay. As his fame grew, the police start focusing on him. They target him and trap him. The 'honey trap' him using a female police officer. They arrest him and throw him into remand custody. During the trail, the judge finds that there are no witnesses to witness against him and so he is released. Within a month he is again arrested for a different murder but this time he gets convicted and is send to Puzhal jail, a maximum security prison. In the jail, he becomes a terror among the prisoners. Prisoners, Wardens and even the Jailer become terrorized by his crooked practises. One day, he secretly places narcotics inside a policeman's bad and get his suspended. After this particular case, it came to light that as to how the narcotic reached the policeman's bad and Abdul gets sent to 'isolation'. In the isolation, he is frustrated and gets physically tortured by the policemen there.
After two weeks in isolation cell, he was transferred to a different prison.
where he devised a plan to escape and was successful. But after a week on the run, he was arrested and then thrown into another maximum security prison in a different state. He served time there and tried planting narcotics into a policeman's bag. This times he was caught red handed and was again sent to isolation for a month. The court declares him a menace to the society as evidence accumulated proving his involvement in multiple murders. The count stands at ten. Ten murders, multiple assaults, thefts and intimidation charges gets filed against him. As the witnesses became forth coming, Abdul was convicted for at least four murders along with few other charges. He gets sentenced to a life term with hard labor and isolation.
A group of Christians miraculously get permission to start a moral story telling sessions on a weekly basis on Sundays in the prison.Their leader started his ministry, because he believed God had called him to serve prisoner's and their families. Abdul was permitted to attend these sessions and this is the only time he is allowed to enter or interact with the outside world, inside the jail. As he attended
these sessions he heard every week certain phrases which caught his attention. The preacher kept repeating this phrase, 'No matter what you have done, Jesus loves you', 'He alone can give you new life. He will forgive all your crimes'. This message started to seep into his brain. After hearing this for about two months, Abdul came forward and asked preacher"what do you mean,'Jesus loves you'. I know for sure nobody can love me and nobody loves me. What makes you say that Jesus loves me?' The preacher started his answer, and as he started he thought, 'This is what I was waiting for' and as he sighed, blurted out a 'Thank you Jesus' in the deep recess of his mind.
The preacher enquired his name and said, "Abdul, God came into the world as Jesus so that he can show his love towards sinners. He has proved his love for you by dying for you on the cross. He has paid the penalty for your sins. Even though you may never get out of this prison and even though the world may never accept you, if you repent and believe in Jesus, he will forgive you all our sins, he will accept you as his child and when you die you will not come under condemnation for any of the crimes you have committed. This is the good news Jesus has called me to share with you. He will give you new life and change you into a new man." Abdul thanked the preacher. But the preacher continued. "Why don't you give your life to Christ? Why don't you accept him as your personal saviour and Lord? How can you deny this offer of God?"
Abdul again thanked the preacher and replied, "I will think about it". In the isolation of his cell, the words of the preacher and the hope of getting forgiveness for all his crimes attracted Abdul. Even as he questioned this on one side, on the other hand he was becoming
all the more open and receptive to this 'good news'.
The next Sunday, after hearing the message, the preacher gave an alter call and Abdul was the first one on the alter all eager to receive the gift of new life which Jesus offers. As he repeated the preacher's prayer, a deep peace which he has never known before descended on him. A new satisfaction and hope crept into him and was given a strong assurance from above that his sins have been forgiven he is no more a sinner or criminal or a convicted murdered but the child of God.None
of the prison officials believed what had happened. They wanted to see if it was true. Abdul regularly attended the weekly meetings. In order to check whether his profession or change of heart was true. They allowed him to mingle with the inmates during dinner time for 20 minutes daily. Abdul started sharing about Jesus and how he has forgiven all his sins n how he now is a child of God.
On hearing the Gospel, a few of the inmates accepted Christ. The warden over time saw a remarkable change in their behaviour. As he allowed Abdul to mingle with other prisoners, they even reported that he is not responding to malignant provocation like he used to do before. They even reported that he has stopped smoking and using filthy language.
Abdul regularly attended the meeting and asked to be baptized. On his baptism service held a week later, the superintendent of prison and few other inmates too responded to an alter call and surrendered their life to Christ. After a month of baptism, Abdul now named Victor, was brought back to general prison from isolation. After a year, he was commended for his good behavior and his good influence on prisoners prompted the jail authorities to apply for presidential pardon. On August 15th of the next year, on the day that India became free from British colonial rule, Victor was released by a Presidential pardon.
The preacher invited him to his house and church. He started travelling around the state and shared his testimony. After five year of such ministry, God called Victor to pastor a village church. After accepting God's call, Victor now serves as a pastor of a village congregation. He is married and has two children.
The jail superintendent is now an evangelist. He has resigned his government job and is involved with his family in full time ministry.
"The serene silent beauty of a holy life is the most powerful influence in the world." --- Blaise Pascal
How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!
Hebrews 9:14
Note: This short story is based on real life incidents and persons.
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