BE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD by Janet Abraham.
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“Be the light of the world…” The Priest preached. “Just like a candle, torch, tube light, blub, etc is enough to bring light to a room. Be the light in other people’s dark lives so that they will draw close to the light and find Jesus our Savior.”
The crowd in a small church nodded in appreciation as the priest preached with sincerity and truth.
“How can you be the light?”
The Priest moved with his sermon when a guy of medium stature walked into the church straight down the hallway and stopped right before a young woman who was earnestly listening to the sermon.
He pulls out a gun and before anyone could react the bullet slights into the woman’s chest blood exploded as it made contact with flesh.
The crowd yelped in fear and ran out of the 4 exits as soon as possible.
The murderer tried to escape, but too late, he was thrown behind bars his whole life.
A week later Ria’s family gathered around the high court along with several other spectators. Various police officials stopped a mob of people from interacting with the family members. A criminal jeep brought the murderer to the high court with his face enclosed in a black cloth and hands tied behind him. The crowd cried in anguish as the criminal passed through the raging crowd cursing him for the crime he did.
Several moments later, after the court proceedings progressed, it was time for the criminal to speak out his intentions finally. He was placed before the magistrates and was allowed to speak before the crowd.
“Allahu Akbar!” He cried until the judge silenced him.
“Why did you kill Ms Ria, Mr Rizwan?” The judge questioned, silencing the whispering crowd.
He was silent, glaring at everyone his eyes fell on.
“Mr Rizwan, we need an answer! Don’t you want justice? You will not be thrown behind bars if you have a valid point.”
There was silence again, Rizwan looked at the crowd for a while and then back at the judge.
“I murdered Ria and I am proud of it.” He confessed raising his face with pride.
“Why?!” Ria’s mother cried in distress.
Rizwan laughed and laughed, his laughter getting louder every minute.
The cops tried to silence him but in vain.
They dragged him out and put him in life imprisonment.
The cops tried interrogating him, and seducing him with drugs but he barely confessed what led him to this crime.
The next day Ria’s brother George received a private message, “I’m Ria’s friend, I have answers to all your questions. Meet me at St John’s Hospital at 11am today.” It read.
George left everything and drove as quickly as possible to meet her.
As he entered the hospital, a nurse approached him and pointed him to a private cabin.
“Who are you? How do you know Ria?” George asked.
“I will tell you everything, but first I need to tell you that my life is at a major risk. If anyone recognizes me with you, I will be dead too.”
“What?” George was perplexed.
“Do you know any other safer place?” Sweat poured out from the nurse’s forehead.
“How about my home? My entire family is there, it’s better when if you would inform them all together, don’t worry we will protect you.” He assured.
“I can’t stay there for long, I just have 1 hour left, my dad or someone will come to pick me up here.” She confessed anxiously.
“You're not a nurse here?” George asked as they plopped into the car.
“No, it’s just a disguise.”
Ria’s family seemed confused when they noticed a young woman coming into their house. George called everyone and he pulled all the curtains down.
“Hello everyone, I am Syeda…. Rizwan’s fiancé.” A hush fell on everyone.
“I’m sorry for your loss, it’s all my fault… it’s all my fault.” Her voice choked.
“What do you mean?” Ria’s dad questioned.
“Ria and I were classmates, she was a really good friend of mine. She was always so cheerful, helpful, and humble that drew me close to her. I was this mean person, I had hurt her so much and released all my family pressure on her. But still, she treated me right, she forgave me and helped me always.”
A tear slid down her cheek.
"She shared the gospel with me and as a Muslim, I was highly skeptical. We often had arguments on who was right, Christianity vs Islam, I was desperate enough to prove that I was right and often raged in anger when my arguments failed. She would tell me, that she prays for me everyday. This kept happening till our last semester in college.
“I met Rizwan at a family gathering and my family had already decided that we would marry. Just before my exams, I was engaged and I was happy that he would be my husband. But then I came to know that his family was involved in black magic and my dad did not want me to be part of his family. There was so much pressure on me especially as I was having my exams that time. Out of desperation, I cried to the Lord Jesus and just within a few hours, the tables changed. Rizwan’s family renounced their black magic practices and my exams didn’t feel pressured anymore. So, from that time, I became a Christian secretly and I was excited to confess it with Ria. She was so happy for me…”
Syeda laughed hysterically.
“We secretly visited church and Vacation Bible School classes together. Last week, as we came out of church, I noticed Rizwan standing out of the church drinking pineapple juice glaring right at us. I tried to confess but before I could say anything, he slapped me and splashed the pineapple juice all over Ria. He warned Ria not to talk to me anymore and dragged me out of there. I tried to run from home but I was caught and I was locked in my store room. Two days later, I heard that Rizwan murdered Ria.”
There was pin drop silence as the family finally understood the story.
“So, why did Rizwan kill my daughter?” Ria’s mother sobbed.
“Because I became a Christian because of her, I went to church with her. Rizwan by killing her thinks he has a better position next to his god in heaven.”
George dropped Syeda safely in the hospital. Ria’s family informed everything to the cops without mentioning Syeda’s name. She ran out of her home and settled in a far city in a Christian home. She married a man of God and lives happily with him.
Rizwan repented from his wicked ways as a preacher preached to him in prison and prayed for him daily.
Ria’s story was an inspiration to many Christians to never stop preaching the gospel even when hate, persecution, and rejection take place. The world needs to know who our Lord and Savior is and how much He loves us. We must stop spreading false teachings and start spreading the message of truth. Keep being like Jesus our Messiah.
Shalom!
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