Father of the Fatherless

This last week one of the school students died. His name was Nuki, he was a class clown type that everybody liked. No one from Kamantian even knew he was sick, we found out that he died at the Wednesday night prayer meeting. Towards the end of the meeting, Nuki's uncle Maliling came running into break the news, at which point some of the girls started wailing.

The next day school was canceled, and the boys left to be grave diggers to bury their friend and for two of the boys, their brother.

Apparently Nuki had been sick for four days prior to his death. We learned that it was originally thought that he was demon possessed because he was foaming at the mouth and trying to bite people. He was taken to the hospital in Brooke's Pt. He had to be tied down to keep from biting people, the doctors diagnosed him with rabies.

The boy with his tongue out is Nuki

Rabies is a horrible, diabolic disease. Its understandably confused with demon possession because the manifestations of foaming, and thrashing about are similar. Nuki lived a hard life and his death wasn't any easier.

His father was a violent man, and for whatever reason Nuki became the chosen object of his anger. Because of this Nuki suffered developmental delays, he was small for his age, and although not noticeably mentally delayed, he was slower cognitively than his piers.

Nuki also inherited his father's rage and was known from time to time to lash out without apparent or with minimal reason. About a month ago such an incident happened and he tried to kill his brother with a machete because he wasn't given the cell phone that he wanted. Because of this incident Nuki was removed from school.

After his death the students were asking us if they would see him in heaven one day. Nuki was not a “Christian”, though before his death he asked for prayer because he didn't like the thoughts he was having. The response we gave the students was, “we don't know if we will see him in heaven or not, we look at outward appearances but only God can read the heart.” (1 Sam 5:7).

I am glad that God is the one who determines such things. When Jesus gave his famous sermon on the mount, the very first things He said were, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted” (Matt 5:3-4). These words for me point to the essence of who God is, a compassionate, merciful, and loving Savior.

This world is not fair. Its not fair that kids like Nuki are beaten by their earthly fathers before they can even say their first word. But the fathers of this world, and our understanding of justice is in no way a reflection of our heavenly Father and His omniscient justice.

Psalms 34:18 says, “The lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” the very reason Christ died for us was to redeem us by “binding up the brokenhearted, and by proclaiming freedom for the captives, and to release prisoners from darkness” (Isa 61:1).

My experience in the social work field has amazed me with the resiliency of children. So many times I have seen children thrive despite the atrocities done to them, by those who are supposed to be their protectors. And furthermore if given the choice these children will, the majority of the time, choose to return to the very ones that abuse them, hoping that maybe this time, if they act just right their parents will love them.

The most basic definition of God is that, “God is love” (1 Jn:4:16). Because of this and the most well known bible verse in all of scripture (Jn 3:16), I know that if Nuki is not in heaven, he won't be tortured forever. The bible explains, “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life”. To perish is to cease to exist. If Nuki chose to not believe, he may not enter the heavenly rest, but he will still have rest in the grave. The bible confirms this, when talking about those who have sinned and will face the retribution of God, Jeremiah says, “They will sleep forever and not awake” (Jer 51:57). “The wages of sin is death”, not eternal dying (Rom 6:23). The wages of sin is permanent cessation of life, not perpetual pain and punishment for ones life. If Nuki is not in heaven, he will not be miraculously kept alive for the purpose of being continuously tortured by a “loving God”. That would be a reflection of his earthly father.

My dad in his book expands on this concept and explains, “I am surprised at how many Christians seem to prefer the always-burning, eternal, and everlasting fires of hell. There are some verses that almost seem to read that way but there are simple explanations. The word “gospel” means “good news” and I think the gospel of Jesus is literally overflowing with good news!” 1.

I don't know if Nuki will be in Heaven. But I know that God was not oblivious to the pain he suffered during his short life here. Psalms 38:6 says that God even counts our tears and records them in His book. He is the “Father of the fatherless” and through Him all can “receive a spirit of adoption, and by Him cry Abba, Father” (Ps 68:5; Rom 8:15). Because of this I can unreservedly pray, “Our Father who is in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matt 6:9-10).


1.Murray McGill Dead Birds Don't Sing but Witching Rods Talk. Ch 43

*For free information on the subject of hell, check out amazingfacts.org or bibleuniverse.com.

* Also David Assherick does an excellent sermon on this topic called “The Good News about Hell” to listen to that follow this link: http://www.audioverse.org/sermons/recordings/28/revelation-s-lake-of-fire-the-good-news-about-hell.html

*One of the best presentations of this subject I have heard is a three part series by Dwight Nelson. To listen to these follow this link http://www.pmchurch.tv/searchcart-NV.php?search=the+truth+about+hell&submit.x=0&submit.y=0