Conversion of a Nazi killer and similar me.
Erick was a German army captain. During a punitive attack on an occupied village he bayoneted the pastor of the village, who tried to save a mother with infant. In mortal agony pastor prayed for his conversion and died.
After that Erick became disturbed. In repentance he prayed to Christ for a chance to reform his life. Then Germans were retreating. At last he deserted and posing as a refugee succeeded to enter India. He roamed in south India and then entered East Bengal crossing Indian border. Obviously Providence was watching over him.
There he went to the pastor of a village in Jessore district, not far from my place. He confessed everything and sought shelter. Pastor denied shelter, but told him that he may build a hut on the outskirts. So he lived and earned his livelihood with hard labor by making dolls of wood and handicrafts. But village people avoided him out of fear and suspicion.
After some time some village huts caught fire. Erick ran to the rescue. He recklessly entered a burning hut and rescued a mother with child. He was severely burnt in the process. The villagers’ fear turned into love. They admitted him to a hospital and cared during recuperation. After cure he boldly took initiative in improving the village and succeeded greatly with people’s ready cooperation. People began to admire him. Next he led the people to renovate the village church by his and other volunteers’’ physical labor.
Then Bangladesh liberation movement was gaining momentum. Bengalis tried to get rid of oppressive west Pakistani rulers. Latter unleashed a reign of terror as Nazis did in Europe. They torched hostile villages, killed, raped and looted with their non-Bengali Rajakar accomplices. Erich always helped those villages after such raids, often risking death by Pakistanis.
Once he was going by boat with relief materials to such a ravaged village. But a patrol boat caught him and tying him to a riverside tree bayoneted him to death. They threw the body in the river. The circle was complete. To save others, now he received the bayonet he had previously pushed to kill. Christian salvation is no magic of imaginary faith.
After extensive search by the villagers, the body was found entangled in the submerged roots of the same tree. They buried him in the village cemetery and wrote his life-story on the grave-stone.
Revengeful East Bengal refugee I was a little similar to him. I was enrolled in national cadet corps in school for future military career to take revenge. I was engrossed in rifle and excelled in marksmanship. Seeing me trigger-happy, a sepoy once remarked “every time you pull the trigger you kill a man”. This made me to question myself. I would have been a killer like Erick had I entered military.
But my and family’s bitter revengeful attitude began to disintegrate me. Love integrates while hate disintegrates. In unrest I left home to enter a Hindu monastery trying to save myself. Failing, I sought in different religions and ideologies. Finally I was saved when I found Christ at 18 years age.
Now after 30 years Christ-following in destitute service in celibacy, I am now engaged in serving Muslims whom I had intended to take revenge on. Like Erick my life has turned full circle.
This is also the story of us, refugees from one pride infected sick paradise bigger than earth as sun is. Warring each other there (Rev12,7-12 and Indian Puran) we have fallen here. We have brought the vendetta here. Following pride-devil we have spoiled each other up there and here. Now, our ultimate weapons ready suicidal we are on the verge of destroying not only ourselves but the habitat. Here also the circle must turn full for each individual for his personal salvation.
Erick was a German army captain. During a punitive attack on an occupied village he bayoneted the pastor of the village, who tried to save a mother with infant. In mortal agony pastor prayed for his conversion and died.
After that Erick became disturbed. In repentance he prayed to Christ for a chance to reform his life. Then Germans were retreating. At last he deserted and posing as a refugee succeeded to enter India. He roamed in south India and then entered East Bengal crossing Indian border. Obviously Providence was watching over him.
There he went to the pastor of a village in Jessore district, not far from my place. He confessed everything and sought shelter. Pastor denied shelter, but told him that he may build a hut on the outskirts. So he lived and earned his livelihood with hard labor by making dolls of wood and handicrafts. But village people avoided him out of fear and suspicion.
After some time some village huts caught fire. Erick ran to the rescue. He recklessly entered a burning hut and rescued a mother with child. He was severely burnt in the process. The villagers’ fear turned into love. They admitted him to a hospital and cared during recuperation. After cure he boldly took initiative in improving the village and succeeded greatly with people’s ready cooperation. People began to admire him. Next he led the people to renovate the village church by his and other volunteers’’ physical labor.
Then Bangladesh liberation movement was gaining momentum. Bengalis tried to get rid of oppressive west Pakistani rulers. Latter unleashed a reign of terror as Nazis did in Europe. They torched hostile villages, killed, raped and looted with their non-Bengali Rajakar accomplices. Erich always helped those villages after such raids, often risking death by Pakistanis.
Once he was going by boat with relief materials to such a ravaged village. But a patrol boat caught him and tying him to a riverside tree bayoneted him to death. They threw the body in the river. The circle was complete. To save others, now he received the bayonet he had previously pushed to kill. Christian salvation is no magic of imaginary faith.
After extensive search by the villagers, the body was found entangled in the submerged roots of the same tree. They buried him in the village cemetery and wrote his life-story on the grave-stone.
Revengeful East Bengal refugee I was a little similar to him. I was enrolled in national cadet corps in school for future military career to take revenge. I was engrossed in rifle and excelled in marksmanship. Seeing me trigger-happy, a sepoy once remarked “every time you pull the trigger you kill a man”. This made me to question myself. I would have been a killer like Erick had I entered military.
But my and family’s bitter revengeful attitude began to disintegrate me. Love integrates while hate disintegrates. In unrest I left home to enter a Hindu monastery trying to save myself. Failing, I sought in different religions and ideologies. Finally I was saved when I found Christ at 18 years age.
Now after 30 years Christ-following in destitute service in celibacy, I am now engaged in serving Muslims whom I had intended to take revenge on. Like Erick my life has turned full circle.
This is also the story of us, refugees from one pride infected sick paradise bigger than earth as sun is. Warring each other there (Rev12,7-12 and Indian Puran) we have fallen here. We have brought the vendetta here. Following pride-devil we have spoiled each other up there and here. Now, our ultimate weapons ready suicidal we are on the verge of destroying not only ourselves but the habitat. Here also the circle must turn full for each individual for his personal salvation.