By Mariana Buhring, 24, Senegal.
Second-generation Family member.

A friend of mine recently wrote me in “concern” that I am still in the Family International, a Christian missionary group dedicated to serving one sole purpose—that of doing the best we can, in whatever way we can, to show the world a little sample of God’s love. A love that made Him give us His Son, a man called Jesus, who came to Earth 2,000 years ago to live with us and show us that love, a love so pure and so powerful that there were those who could not handle it and tried to get rid of it by brutally torturing, beating and killing the One who was the embodiment of this Love!

As I sit writing this first paragraph, I wonder why I’ve started out by recounting this story, one that we are all familiar with especially more recently. I have wanted to write some flaming rebuttal to all the latest accusations that have once again been flung at our small minority group, only this time with more vicious and malicious intent in light of recent events concerning the murder of Angela Smith and consequent suicide of Ricky Rodriguez. I have never met any of the two in question and yet, as would anyone, I am shocked and mostly grieved at even just the thought of such a tragedy. Such pointless loss of life, first of all to someone whose only crime was to give her life to serve others and secondly, someone who once had a life and future filled with love and purity, but who instead chose the road of death, not when he decided to take his own life after murdering someone, but long before. For I believe that the minute you yield to hate and bitterness you’ve already signed out on life which was obviously the case in this sad tale and worse yet to so many others who follow down this same path.

So while I’m trying to put down in words what I feel towards these lies—cause that’s all that they are—without losing my own dignity, cause I can assure you, it makes me furious to hear my Family being battered down, threatened by hate mongers who have nothing better to do than vent out their unfounded, bitter venom on the innocent, I keep thinking back on the above mentioned story, and yes, of Jesus, who specifically stated in John 16:18, 20 : “The world hated Me before it hated you.” “…if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you!” So basically, you’re helping us to fulfill what Jesus promised in the Bible, you’re confirming to us that we are doing the right thing, and what’s more—you’re bringing us closer together to Jesus and to each other, cause you know what? you don’t scare us. You sure don’t scare me; if He sees me fit enough, and finds me worthy enough to be counted for Him, whatever that means, whether living in peace or persecution—for His Name sake, then I am honored, and better yet, I’m not a lone cry.

You will never win against us, you know why, because truth lives on. Haven’t you learned anything from the first time they tried to kill Jesus, or from all those countless, sometimes nameless faces who have time and again given their lives cause someone thought that that would “end it” once and for all, proving only that you can never shut up the truth in the grave, it’s too strong! Whatever you may do to us physically will have no consequence to that truth, except to fall back on your heads. Quite frankly I can’t see how you could possibly feel justified or dignified in your rage and hate and I pity all those that walk down this path, for it’s a dead end. You claim to be “moving on”—you’re not, period. That idea got lost long ago and I can only pray with all my heart that you find it again.

As for me I’m proud to have been given such a heritage of faith, love, peace, and conviction. I couldn’t have asked for a better way to be raised or a better purpose to live my life for.

So our parents were not perfect, whose are? And who are any of us to think that we’re so much better? What they gave us was the beauty of knowing another world of freedom instead of monotonous everyday drudgery. They taught us that giving your life to serve others, putting others before yourself brings real true happiness. They taught us to “put our affections on things above” because the things of this world come and go and only what you do for Christ and others remains. They taught us that “it can be done”, living by faith, “going into all the world to preach the Gospel”, and not only doing it, but having fun doing it. They taught us that it’s not always what you see and feel that “makes it necessarily so”, but having faith, “as small as a grain of mustard seed” even if that’s all you can find, and believing in your heart, that what the Bible says is true, and that God is still alive and He’s still moving and speaking and acting through us. And you know what—they’re right, it’s all true. How do I know? ‘Cause I have experienced it, and I do experience it. It’s my life.

So for all those who express such “concern,” we don’t need your sympathy, nor are we lacking in courage or strength to “escape” or come out of our “brainwashed” state. We’re here because we want to be, that’s our choice and decision, just as it was yours to leave and live the lives you are now living. We don’t dis you for your decisions—don’t dis us. We have just as much right to be respected for our beliefs and choices as you do. You wanna “move on”, well then “move on”, “get a life” as they say—we already have ours!!

And that is my conclusion!!!!