True Beauty (Part 2)
(Read Part 1 here)
The world would not think to call her beautiful. In the picture in Voice of the Martyrs (Special Issue 2006), Mumtaz Bibi is sitting in a drab house with cement walls, surrounded by three children. She’s wearing a white head covering and a dress with a nondescript floral print. Her hair is faded and unkempt; her face is bare of makeup and worn from years of hard work. Moreover, her leg bears ugly scars and stitching, and there is a metal rod inserted into it.
Yet after hearing her story, I can hardly think of a woman I know who is more beautiful than Mumtaz. She and her family are part of a tiny minority of Christians in Pakistan. For years, she was employed at a brick kiln where her boss was a Christian. But when he sold the kiln, the workers were transferred, and their new boss, a Muslim, would not allow the Christians to have prayer services or go to church.
In spite of these rules, Mumtaz continued attending church. This touched me: “She is illiterate and cannot read the Bible, yet she and her family memorize the pastor’s sermons and try to practice his teachings in their daily walk.” I’ve barely even opened my Bible since the summer started (that’s not normal for me, but it happens once in awhile, and it shouldn’t!), and here is this woman who can’t even read and memorizes sermons to learn about her faith.
Mumtaz’s boss continued to threaten the Christians, but Mumtaz and her family continued to attend church. Eventually, the boss’s son burst into the Bibis’ home and beat Mumtaz with a stick, so hard that her left leg broke, and so did her nose. She was unconscious for three days. “Because she lacked money to undergo therapy and additional medical treatment, she could not walk and was bedridden for more than one year. During that time, her husband carried her wherever she went. Additional financial strain was placed on the family because Mumtaz was not able to work. She lacked money to purchase pain killers. She often suffered intense leg pain in the middle of the night, and her sobbing would awaken the children.”
The good news is that Voice of the Martyrs was able to intervene and provide Mumtaz with medical care, surgeries, and prayer and encouragement - and they were able to share her story with the church (meaning the worldwide church).
That’s beauty. A love of Christ so deep, a thirst for knowledge of Him so rare, that you would risk your life to obtain it.
1 Comment to True Beauty (Part 2)
Amazing testament to the power of faith and resolve despite the great struggle we find ourselves in today…. great blog entry!!!
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Author
Anna, 21. Saved by grace, called to follow Christ. Book-lover, writer, caregiver, wannabe runner.
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May 22, 2007