I have other sheep.....

“I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”  Jesus in John 10:16

Last December  on Public Radio an interview aired entitled Don't Shoot the Messenger.  In that brief interview Wazir Gul Anis, a man from Afghanistan, shared his philosophy that poetry provides beauty  and wisdom for a people, but poetry also gives hope and can be used to change the climate of a community.

Anis demonstrated a deep love for classic Persian poetry and has found poetry helped him cope when Russian invaded his  country.

Later poetry helped him bring warring clans together to work for reconciliation and poetry helped again when the Taliban took over.

Wazir Gul Anis denounces the culture of revenge contrary to the prevailing attitude around him. He printed a poem on the wall of his clinic to illustrate this philosophy in a public manner. 

When Russia invaded Afghanistan Anis came in contact a Russian prisoner of war and chose to treat the Russian prisoner like he  would have treated his own brother!  Anis worked for the Russian’s release in a prisoner exchange.  When the former prisoner of war returned to his homeland he sent medicines back for Anis to use in the clinic in Afghanistan.

 In 1992 Wazir Gul Anis became a district governor in Afghanistan.  In this position he intentionally brought feuding clans together to talk.  He encouraged them to forgive one another, to reject the culture of revenge.   In order to provide a safe space for the feuding families to come together Anis facilitated sessions of poetry reading .   Through the poetry the clans learned to trust one another and forgive one another. They, too, chose to reject the culture of revenge and began to find ways to work together for the well being of the community so they could live in peace.  Later when the Taliban came into the country they did not go to the communities who were living peacefully together.           

As this man told his story I realized that his way of living reflected Jesus' teachings! 

“Love your enemies…” Matthew5:43

"So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you..."  Matthew 7:12 

“Blessed are the peacemakers...”  Matthew 5:9     

This man, whether he knows it or not, is living out the principles Jesus taught!   Wazir Gul Anis  is living the way Jesus taught us to live!  

When Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life," could this be what he meant? After all, Jesus did say, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice.  So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

The life of this man challenges those of us who claim to embrace Jesus as Lord and fail to work together for the well being of others.