Today I am behind locked doors because I am sad and afraid. I am sad because the government murdered my good friend and afraid because the government is after all those who were close friends with him.
I first heard about him in the village. There was a commotion in the village and everyone was running into the village square. They said that a woman had met a man who told her about everything she had ever done. The people thought the man was one of those people with double pairs of eyes. In my village, people with double pairs of eyes are treated with fear and respect because these people see things which people with only a single pair of eyes do not see. (People with double pairs of eyes do not actually have two physical pairs of eyes; they have just one pair of eyes but the other pair is not seen, it is spiritual - that is why these people are believed to be able to see more than people with just a single pair of eyes.) So people flocked to him to ask him questions about themselves. I was one of the people who flocked to the market square.
As we got there, he started talking about God. He said that he had been sent by God to heal people who are sick and help people live well. He said that it is not the will of God that some are born blind, lame, hungry, barren, etc. He said that it was not the will of God that people should be fighting against each other, wasting the energy God has given them to put to good use. I listened to him carefully and, as he was talking, he went towards Mr. Try. Mr. Try was the blind beggar who often sat at the village square and he has been blind for as long as I could remember. He lifted his right had and with a couple of fingers, touched Mr. Try's eyes. From that time Mr. Try could see. The crowd burst into celebration. That was my first encounter with my now murdered friend.
I started following him as he trekked from village to village teaching, healing, and feeding people. As he went about doing these things, we started hearing rumors that the government was looking for him. They said that the government was looking for him because he was holding rallies without permit and that was illegal. The government said that he should stop gathering people together because that could easily lead to disturbance. The fact of the matter, however, was that he did not gather people. People followed him instead. So many were sick and troubled in many ways and the government did not even care about what was going on with the people. But my friend cared for them. He always looked sad and disturbed when he saw people suffering and he always attempted to relieve their suffering. That is why people followed him. He did not even call people. People just heard about him and followed.
Soon, people started saying that the government had sent the police to arrest him. The government said that he had broken the law that states that no one should hold rallies without permit. He told us that the government was looking for a way to kill him because the government does not like people who care about human life. That is why the government is full of corruption and deceit, he said. He said that the governing authority is full of cunning and deceit, looking after its own interest rather than the interest of the people. He said that the government was looking to kill him because the good things he does is against what the government stands for. The government thought he may make the people aware that they needed to be treated with dignity. The government was afraid of him and so they wanted to put him out of the way.
On Thursday, after he was done healing and teaching and as we were about to look for a place to sleep, a group of police came and said that my friend was under arrest. They said that they had evidence that my friend was plotting to overthrow the government and that was treason. People who commit treason are to be executed. We thought we were dreaming. They took him away. But I followed from a distance. They took him to the place where the government confines people who are to be hung for treason. I sat outside just nearby, watching what would happen to him. Then suddenly I fell asleep.
On Friday morning, I was awoken by the commotion as people came to watch those who were being put to death by the government. The police drove back the crowd and so I watched from a distance. They built the execution stage where the men were to be hung. My friend was one of the first to be put to death. They stood him on the stage, placed a bag on his head and a noose around his neck. I heard a scream and his body dangled, lifeless. "Let this be a warning to all of you," the police spokesman said, "who think of overthrowing the government. We are coming after you."
To me, this was murder because my friend had done nothing wrong.
I first heard about him in the village. There was a commotion in the village and everyone was running into the village square. They said that a woman had met a man who told her about everything she had ever done. The people thought the man was one of those people with double pairs of eyes. In my village, people with double pairs of eyes are treated with fear and respect because these people see things which people with only a single pair of eyes do not see. (People with double pairs of eyes do not actually have two physical pairs of eyes; they have just one pair of eyes but the other pair is not seen, it is spiritual - that is why these people are believed to be able to see more than people with just a single pair of eyes.) So people flocked to him to ask him questions about themselves. I was one of the people who flocked to the market square.
As we got there, he started talking about God. He said that he had been sent by God to heal people who are sick and help people live well. He said that it is not the will of God that some are born blind, lame, hungry, barren, etc. He said that it was not the will of God that people should be fighting against each other, wasting the energy God has given them to put to good use. I listened to him carefully and, as he was talking, he went towards Mr. Try. Mr. Try was the blind beggar who often sat at the village square and he has been blind for as long as I could remember. He lifted his right had and with a couple of fingers, touched Mr. Try's eyes. From that time Mr. Try could see. The crowd burst into celebration. That was my first encounter with my now murdered friend.
I started following him as he trekked from village to village teaching, healing, and feeding people. As he went about doing these things, we started hearing rumors that the government was looking for him. They said that the government was looking for him because he was holding rallies without permit and that was illegal. The government said that he should stop gathering people together because that could easily lead to disturbance. The fact of the matter, however, was that he did not gather people. People followed him instead. So many were sick and troubled in many ways and the government did not even care about what was going on with the people. But my friend cared for them. He always looked sad and disturbed when he saw people suffering and he always attempted to relieve their suffering. That is why people followed him. He did not even call people. People just heard about him and followed.
Soon, people started saying that the government had sent the police to arrest him. The government said that he had broken the law that states that no one should hold rallies without permit. He told us that the government was looking for a way to kill him because the government does not like people who care about human life. That is why the government is full of corruption and deceit, he said. He said that the governing authority is full of cunning and deceit, looking after its own interest rather than the interest of the people. He said that the government was looking to kill him because the good things he does is against what the government stands for. The government thought he may make the people aware that they needed to be treated with dignity. The government was afraid of him and so they wanted to put him out of the way.
On Thursday, after he was done healing and teaching and as we were about to look for a place to sleep, a group of police came and said that my friend was under arrest. They said that they had evidence that my friend was plotting to overthrow the government and that was treason. People who commit treason are to be executed. We thought we were dreaming. They took him away. But I followed from a distance. They took him to the place where the government confines people who are to be hung for treason. I sat outside just nearby, watching what would happen to him. Then suddenly I fell asleep.
On Friday morning, I was awoken by the commotion as people came to watch those who were being put to death by the government. The police drove back the crowd and so I watched from a distance. They built the execution stage where the men were to be hung. My friend was one of the first to be put to death. They stood him on the stage, placed a bag on his head and a noose around his neck. I heard a scream and his body dangled, lifeless. "Let this be a warning to all of you," the police spokesman said, "who think of overthrowing the government. We are coming after you."
To me, this was murder because my friend had done nothing wrong.
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