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| The famous National Geographic photo of an Afghan refugee. |
I was browsing through YouTube today and it reminded me particularly about a National Geographic special I saw before on cable. The title is "Afghanistan's Lost Treasure" and fortunately it is available in parts on YouTube. The documentary tells about how the country's leading arts and culture people try to restore their art and culture after decades of Taliban oppression. See, before the Taliban, the country was rich in culture and history. But when the Taliban took over, they sought to destroy all kinds of art, because they adhere to a Quran law that any depiction of life like a painting or sculpture is an abomination against God.
I am particularly overwhelm by the people who sought to protect their country's rich history. One artist who manages the national art museum put his life at risk by painting water-based paint over oil paintings that depicted humans and animals so that the oppressors won't destroy the paintings. A group of film curators hid rolls upon rolls of the countries film archive in their film museum by covering the archive room with another wall, so the Taliban won't find them and burn them. They were so passionate about protecting these creations they were even willing to risk their lives for something they believed in.
After watching the docu, I was reminded of a movie about Afghanistan called "The Kite Runner" (which is again available on YouTube). It was originally a novel about a boy's personal struggle and interpersonal stories growing up before and during the Taliban occupation. It's a story of regret and redemption.
It bored me to watch the movie again (it was less than two hours), so I reminisce the movie by reading the plot summary in Wikipedia. There was a story arc in the movie where an orphan boy was abducted and abused by one of the Taliban leaders, and apparently this practice is an age-old tradition in the region called "Bacha Bazi". So I researched about this and what I found out was heart-breaking.
Basically, Bacha Bazi is an age-old tradition that was sort of birth out of evil necessity. It was the acquisition of boys by influential and powerful men in the society to serve as their lovers. It's an issue that is taboo among their society, obviously illegal, yet a rampant occurrence throughout the country. A documentary made in 2010 proves that even in a modern world, this backward and sick practice still happens at the expense of young and innocent young men. The path to change is slow and steep, as United Nations and other organizations address this problem.
How do you heal the world that is so entangled by its own sin? Is there hope for our deeply broken world?
Last Thursday, in one of our student discipleship groups, one of the new student asked, "Did God planned for aborted babies to suffer such fate?" It was a tough and challenging question which reverts back to the age old question why is there suffering in this world. It is because of the world's own sin that made it what it is today, each of us from time immemorial contributed to it, a domino effect that seems to escalate from one generation to another.
But God's Word gives us hope. God's Word has the power to transform us.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ! - Romans 5:17
So is there even hope for a broken world that is seem to be neck-deep in mess created by its own evil ways? A resounding "Yes!" Jesus is sufficient, truly Jesus is the answer to every broken heart. Through Christ He made available "God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness" to everyone who calls to Him. When we had chosen to look away, Jesus stared Sin and suffering in its face. It killed Him, but not for long, because like a seed that dies on the ground, Jesus springs out from His grave alive, overpowering the tag-team of Sin and Death that held Him back. Paul taunts, "Where O Death is thy sting?"
I as a person cannot do one good thing to make this world better. It is Christ that is in me, He is the one that works in me and through me to be a blessing to a broken world, touching one soul at a time.
I may not be going to Afghanistan any time soon, but I know someone who will, and I pray that God's abundant provision of grace and His gift of righteousness work through her.