Hello. I'm Marina Santee. And I'm Elizabeth Lickiss. Welcome to Spotlight. This programme uses a special English method of broadcasting. It is easier for people to understand, no matter where in the world they live.
No-one wants to get hurt do they? Our natural desire is to run away from trouble and suffering. But have you ever wanted something so much that you were willing to suffer for it? Sometimes, the prize that is offered is so wonderful that it is worth everything.
Yes, I have met several people who say that they have found the greatest prize of all. But they have had to suffer for it. Karim is one of these people. He lives in a country near the Mediterranean Sea. Life is not easy for him. His family is poor. They do not always have enough to eat. But they are a strong family. They live in a community with many traditions. Here is the story of the time my friend Olive Baker met Karim.
Karim had travelled hundreds of kilometres. He had travelled from his mountain village to a big house on the coast. The trip had taken him many days. He had come to meet with a group of people. These people were Christians. Karim was a Christian too. He wanted to spend time with his Christian friends. He also wanted to learn more about the Christians Holy Book, the Bible.
When Olive first met Karim they were sitting in the courtyard together. The cool stone of the open building provided us with some shelter. The sun was hot and the sky a deep blue. They sat for a while quietly. Then Olive asked Karim, 'How did you become a follower of Jesus Christ?' Karim's face became serious. Then he said, "Do you really want to know? It is not a happy story. I was twenty years old. I lived in a little house in the village. I lived with my mother and brothers and sisters. My father had died. I was a wild young man, a rebel. I had no purpose to my life. So I tried drink and even drugs to make me happy. I brought my mother many problems. I made her very sad. It was a difficult time for her. But my mother did have many family members. They came to support her. One of them was her brother, my uncle. He used to come and visit us. During these visits I heard him telling my sister about Jesus Christ. He never talked to me about Jesus Christ. My uncle thought that I was bad. He did not want to spend time with me. But I listened to what he said to my sister. The things he said touched my heart. Every time he came I would find an excuse to stay in the room. I wanted to hear more. I began to look forward to his visits. He told my sister about the miracles that Jesus Christ did. He said that Jesus Christ healed sick people. He made blind men see. The things he said were wonderful. He told the story of Jesus Christ. And he talked about Jesus as if he was still alive. But it was the next part of the story that shocked me. Some people hated Jesus Christ so much that they killed Him. They hung him on a cross until he died. He was buried in a tomb. But three days later he came out of it - alive! My uncle said that Jesus Christ chose to suffer. He suffered and died because of his love for us. He died to pay for all the wrong things that we do in our lives. My uncle said that Jesus Christ changed everything. He made it possible for peace to exist between people and God. My uncle said that we could put our faith in Jesus Christ. And then we would not need to fear death. He said that Jesus Christ promises us life in Heaven. And that we will be with Him forever.
Well, at first I could not believe that. It was almost too good to be true. But I wanted to change my life. I had failed many times. Was there hope for me after all? I talked to my uncle. He took me to meet a group of young people. They all seemed so happy. They met by the river to read from the Holy Bible. They also prayed together. God did wonderful things for them. I was surprised to see so many people. They seemed very happy. But they told me that they had not had an easy time. They warned me, 'If you decide to follow Jesus Christ, be prepared for trouble. People treated Jesus Christ badly and they will do the same to you'. I did not want trouble. But I did want their joy and peace. So one day, I asked God to forgive the bad things I had done. I put my faith in Jesus Christ. And I joined the group.
Then my problems really started. My mother found out that I was meeting with the group by the river. And she was full of anger. She shouted, 'How can you bring such shame on us? You are my first-born son. You must keep the good name and honour of the family'. Then she started to hit me. She broke two of my teeth. This treatment went on for six months. The pain and the rejection were hard to take. But I kept thinking about Jesus Christ. He had suffered more than that for me. I had such peace in my heart. I felt that He was with me all the time, helping me and giving me strength.
After a while, my mother stopped hitting me. She could see that my behaviour had changed towards her. I used to insult her. Now I respected her. And I tried to obey her. She knew that I loved her.
Then my brother started to insult me. He tried to get me back to my old way of thinking. But my mother said, 'Leave him alone. He is better than you are.' Now things are easier for me. My family loves me. And they accept me.
Olive had listened to Karim's story. The day was coming to an end. The hot sun was beginning to set. But there was one other question that she really wanted to ask. She said, 'Karim, that was such a hard time for you. Did you not want to just stop trying? Was it worth it in the end?" 'Of course it was worth it. I know now that I am forgiven for my past mistakes. I have Jesus Christ in my life. This brings me great peace. I have something to live for. I do not fear death. These are treasures worth everything. The Holy Bible says, 'Our troubles are light and do not last. But the result will be glory so great that it will last forever'. This is something that I believe with all my heart. What more could I wish for'. The writer of today's programme was Olive Baker. The voices you heard were from the United Kingdom. Computer users can hear our programmes, on our website at www.radio.english.net. This programme is called Karim's Story. We love to hear comments and questions from our listeners. You can reach us by e-mail. Our address is radio at English dot net. Thank you for joining us in today's Spotlight programme. Goodbye.
