” With us is the Lord our God to help us and fight our battles”
(2 chronicles 32:8)
I found such great comfort from the recent social media sensation called the “Malian Spiderman”.
In case you missed it, this is the story of an African migrant who scaled a 6 storey building in 30 seconds to save a child who was dangling dangerously from the balcony.
I am one of those people who annoyingly look for spiritual truths from everyday life. Sometimes, in fact many times, its almost impossible to perceive any spiritual value from the apple that fell out of my shopping cart, or the motorbike rider who carelessly ploughed into the side of my car
But then there are times, …. Bless my soul, that God sends you a real sign saying, ” I am still Here,..” and “I am still Capable of Causing Good to conquer Evil” So I am here today to do my happy dance on this blog because God is very much alive and well in our world and He’s still causing Good to result from evil.
Mamadou Gassama was just but an illegal migrant like countless thousands of other migrants escaping the desperation and helplessness they was born into. Trying hard to fit in, blend in and disappear all at the same time, his days were probably marked by one futile job search after another as only an identity-less and un-welcome person would know. His entire existence didn’t count for much, much less possess anything worth counting in his pocket.
Imagine then how bewildering it must be that in a short span of 48 hours, you go from being Mamadou to Malian Spiderman. You wake up one morning an aimless pauper and the next day at sun-up you are preparing to meet the Prime-Minister in the Elysee Palace. In the intervening hours you have undergone a life changing transformation from Suspect Man to Super Man. You were trying hard to fit into society, now you not only belong, but your acceptance is celebrated by a grateful nation. From jobless to a secured job offer. From migrant to citizen. From nobody to somebody everybody is talking about the world over.
In a world of ice cold skepticism, this is truly a miracle….and here is why. Overnight, the refugee camp of tents pitched under a tunnel in the city of Paris was cleared by the national government and the migrant occupants of this tented shelter moved into permanent shelter awaiting document processing for asylum seekers. What many had longed for, hoped in and given up on suddenly became possible because of one man’s courage and compassion.
In his characteristic unthinking selflessness, Mamadou said that the real reason he did such a daring thing was that deep down he loves children. And by that one moment of sheer, unscripted, raw confession, he accomplished a change of heart towards migrants. These are real people with real feelings,capable of acting on emotion just like the rest of us. No PR campaign could ever have forged so powerful a human connection.
Only God can take one man’s self-less act and cause it to overflow into such a Gift That Keeps on Giving. To the little boy’s family that was spared the grief and guilt of such a needless death, to the changing fortunes of desperate migrants lodging in tents under a tunnel, to hard hearts that were gently won over by an extravagant act of love and compassion.
There is a man who once gave his life to save perishing souls. Unlike Mamadou, mankind’s rescue could only be accomplished by his sure death. Just like Mamadou, Love still robbed death of its victory.
Jesus Christ demonstrated the full extent of God’s eternal love and compassion towards mankind by his willing death and glorious resurrection. We the wandering migrants of this earth are now The Accepted and Beloved Citizens of Heaven because of this eternal sacrifice.