The Straightline
Khyber Pass
by Eric Watt
The Khyber Pass –
Joined by a hired gunman (armed with a private issue semi-automatic) we piled into the van up the road from Peshawar, Pakistan to the Khyber Pass. I asked why we needed “protection” and the explanation, in a few minutes, was self-explanatory. Along the roadside nearly every man was armed with AK-47s, kalishnakovs or some other weapon. The government of Pakistan promised protection for every person as long as both traveler’s feet were on the road. Any deviation and we would be in the hands of the tribal people who rule the Khyber Pass.
The steep incline wound through the jagged mountainous terrain, spotted by rifle factories and the occasional bazaar. Trucks piled high with goods teetered around the hairpin curves while other vehicles sped by unafraid of what might lie ahead.
As we descended out of the mountains approaching the border crossing with Afghanistan we came to the dealer bazaar. There, like centuries before, traders offered their goods of weaponry (knives, rifles, stinger missiles), hashish, heroin and any other thing of interest. “Does the government allow this trading to go on,” I asked our guide? With a smile that only happens in the wild, he replied, “This area is free from government control. Every person does as he wishes.”
We eventually came to the border crossing, were asked to put away our cameras, handed over our passports and waited for the proper paperwork to allow us passage into Afghanistan. People were buying and selling goods, men were sipping tea watching the day go by, and women dressed in beautifully colored burkhas were headed to a wedding.
A boy with blood splattered across his chest from a knife wound caused a minor stir for those interested in his identity. The creed hadn’t changed … “ an eye for an eye.”
Every person we greeted was amazingly kind and gentle – a warm reception from a people whose lives are guided by honor, hospitality and revenge.
Walking across the border I saw a sign reading, “in the name of God the most merciful and benevolent welcome to the country of Afghanistan.” Under its shadows people stood by chatting the morning away while soldiers beat children to tears turning them away from the border. I began quoting Joshua 1:3, 9. “I will give you every place you set your foot…be strong and courageous; do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”
I was standing on the well-worn path of believers who had for years traversed this, the Silk Road. My heart cried out, “He is loving, merciful and benevolent. We have the promise that one day, these people will hear and worship you.”
How can we reach these people with the love our Savior, I thought. With television, radio or a massive literature initiative? Perhaps we could demonstrate our commitment to them with humanitarian aid? It was then I remembered the words of a friend defining for me the courage of these people. Describing the recent war she said, “These people do not understand why Americans would drop something from the sky. If what they have to say is really that important can they not show us the honor of telling us face to face?”
Here was the key. They will welcome Jesus in all of His loving, tender mercy when we show them the honor of living with them and testifying of His forgiveness. “The word became flesh and dwelt among us; we beheld His glory.”
Until all have heard,
Eric
Central Asian Resources