By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills
“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:32 ESV
Several years ago, I traveled to Juba, Southern Sudan to research a series of books. During my time there, I stayed at an Episcopalian Compound. Instead of a tent by the Nile River, I opted for a closet-size room as my temporary sanctuary.
One evening a local pastor visited the compound. His tone and body language betrayed his dislike for me. I suspected his attitude reflected wasn’t personal but directed toward who I represented. Could I blame him? His people had endured imaginable suffering at the hands of North Sudan. They were persecuted in ways I could barely fathom and were in desperate need of help.
At the end of my week-long stay, I waited at the Juba airport— a three-sided structure where goats wandered freely inside. My flight was delayed, and the oppressive heat beat down hard on me. A man approached me—the same pastor who had made his disdain for me so evident. He greeted me, and I braced myself for what might follow.
“I have a story for you to take back to the States,” he said.
I listened intently.
“A young man was being chased by mercenaries. Fleeing on foot, he arrived at a compound where an old man sat at the gate beside a pile of grain.
“Grandfather, hide me,” the young man said. “They will kill me.”
The old man pointed to the pile of grain. “Hide under there.”
The young man buried himself in the grain just as the mercenaries arrived on horseback and camelback.
“Old man, did you see a young man run through here?”
“Yes,” the old man said and pointed to the pile of grain. “He’s there.”
The mercenaries laughed. “You’re crazy, old man.” And rode off.
After several minutes, the old man told the young man that it was safe to come out. Trembling, the young man could barely stand or speak.
“Grandfather, why did you tell them where I was hiding?”
The old man smiled. “Don’t you know the truth will set you free?”
I gasped and thanked the pastor for this story. For the first time, I saw him in a new light. He saw life in a different perspective. He was a man who’d been persecuted for his faith—a reality I could scarcely comprehend from the safety of my sheltered life.
“Please tell your people how badly the Sudanese need help,” he said.
I promised, and I kept my word, often in tears. We exchanged emails several times.
I never forgot his story. The truth haunts me—a blessing and reality.
Truth belongs to God; it is His character. It shapes who we are in Christ and sets us free—although not always in ways we expect.
Do you have a life experience that has profoundly affected you?
Comments 12
Oh my goodness… what a story! I do have a story of being greatly affected by God’s goodness and grace. Too long to share here. I’ll share with you personally… love ya!
Maureen, your story brought tears to my eyes. Thank you so much.
What an interesting encounter and story. Did you think he thought you’d come to romanticize their plight? I love how you were able to overcome whatever barrier he felt and connect with each other.
Author
Thanks, Debbie, I’m not sure what he thought, and perhaps you are right. He was hurting for his people, and from what little I experienced, I don’t blame him. Keep the Sudanese in your prayers.
Oh, how easy it is to get caught up in the lies of our would today. In fact, because of Satan’s deceit, we find ourselves questioning whether what we are hearing and seeing are truth or lies. Only TRUTH can set us free. I am thankful that God gave us this TRUTH through his word.
Author
Thanks, Cindy. The Truth is the one thing that will set us free.
Wow and Amen.
Thank you for sharing this DiAnn.
Author
Thanks, Joyce. I was never afraid until I got home and remembered some of hair-raising incidents. Shows the power of God. Of all the things that happened while I was there, the Truth story impacted me the most.
Hah! I’ve been reading John lately and read that verse just a day or so ago. God makes a lot of promises, but they almost always have a catch. All traditional fairy tales also have catches: You can marry the princess if you first slay the dragon, etc. The catch of John 8:32 is in verse 31: “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” For writers, I see catches as key elements of any kind of writing. Think of plot, scenes, characterization, even ideas, as having catches. If we set ourselves to look for them, we’ll find them. They are keys to good setups and payoffs.
Author
Thanks, Lewis. Seeking Truth no matter what we are doing shows the way.
Thank you, DiAnn. So appropriate for today.
Author
Thank you, Marjorie. In this day of good is bad, and bad is good, Truth is the only certainty that will set us free.