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THE RACE - ISSUE 20
Tragedy.
No tragedy is too mild a term for what befell young Mahmoud
several years ago.
When his father was killed in the Algerian war for
independence, his world came to a halt. Like Jeremiah wrote in
Lamentations "We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows."
(5:3) He asked others "Why did my father die?" But only found more
heartache in their answers. "God killed your father," they
said.
God?
In Islamic thought, it is "God" who takes the life of a
father thus leaving a child fatherless and orphaned. "If 'God' did this,
then I HATE GOD!" replied Mahmoud.
He spent much of his young life
bitter and inwardly focused. But, he did have one passion- football
(soccer). Little did Mahmoud know, but this sport would help him find a
Father.
He participated in a football tournament with young men from
neighboring villages. He knew all the other players on the other teams.
However, there was one team that neither he nor his teammates recognized.
Over the course of the tournament, they observed this team closely- they
ate together at a set hour, never argued, read from small books, and had
a unusual peace and joy in their eyes. They were Christians.
On the
day of an important match, Mahmoud fell very sick. He had a high fever and
could not play. Two players from the other team came to ask him why he
was not going to play. "I'm very sick," he said. They asked him if he
would like some medicine from their tent or if he simply wanted
them to pray for his healing.
Mahmoud thought that it would not
hurt to have them pray because he could always ask for some medicine when
their prayers "did not work." They prayed. Not ten minutes later, not five
minutes later, but immediately, he was healed and had new energy! He ran
to his coach (who was amazed at his healing!) and played in the
match.
After the match, he went back to the two Christians, and they
began to explain who God is. Love. Savior. Hope. Friend. Joy. Father. .
.
Father!
The word hung in Mahmoud's mind. For the first time in
his life, he had a father- a Heavenly Father! Truly, God is "A father of
the fatherless." (Psalms 68:5a)
Please, pray for the youth of Algeria
that they may find the love of God. Pray that they may know Him as
Father.
Until all may hear-
The Algerian Arab Team
therace@therace.ws
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