Whose God Is Compassionate and Merciful?

May 31

“Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor,” John 12:20-26.

Meriam Ibrahim has been given a reprieve of sorts. The judge has decreed that she may live until her child is weaned, at around the age of two years. What this pseudo compassionate man is failing to factor into the equation is that her newborn infant stands very little chance of surviving that long in the filthy, germ and infection infested, vermin-ridden dungeon where she and her children are being caged.

What we see here is the distinct contrast between the religion of Miriam’s captors and hers. The judge would, we may say with confidence affirm that the god he worships is “compassionate and merciful,” yet we must question the compassion and mercy of his earthly representatives.

A married woman, loved by her husband, a tender mother to her children is being treated like a caged animal. Her tormentors are people who think they are doing their god a favor by incarcerating her and torturing her emotionally and physically. How different from the GOD SHE SERVES, the GOD WHO SAYS, “Vengeance is Mine! I will recompense evil,” Romans 12:19.

How different from Jesus who when the woman taken in adultery was brought to Him by the accusers who wanted to stone her said, “I forgive you; go and sin no more,” John 8:10. Her judge, who has condemned her to death, believes she is a woman living in sin because she dared—as a woman professing faith in Christ—to marry a man of like precious faith!

Instead of condemning her to death, should he not instead release her to her American husband with the stipulation that he take her and their children to the United States and forbid them to ever return to Sudan!

The judge subscribes to the notion that America is the Great Satan. In sending her here, he would be relegating her to a punishment fitting her crime of marrying an American Christian. The judge would be placing into allah’s hands the fate that would befall her here.

A precedent has already been established within his own legal framework. A group of men were accused of treason by their government. They professed their innocence. The judge in the case ruled that allah would be the one to determine their guilt or innocence. The men were to be taken into an airplane and required to jump out without parachutes. If they lived, allah ruled that they were innocent. If they died, he punished them by their deaths.

If Miriam’s God counts her guilty, she will be miserable in America; if He counts her innocent, she will live and breathe free, loving her husband, loving and nurturing her children in “the wisdom and admonition of the Lord,” Ephesians 6:4, and she will bring forth much good fruit from her godly life.

Yet if this judge has his heart hardened against Meriam, she will still be like the kernel of wheat that falls to the ground. In her death, her faith and courage will bring forth more fruit than even her life can do.