A Leap of Faith, a Leap of Love

* Not going to lie . . . this is actually just my ninth grade Kite Runner paper. It's kind of on the long side . . . but I like it, and I hope you do too! (:

“Who believes what we have heard and seen? Who would have thought God’s saving power would look like this?” (Isaiah 53:1)

            I see the rusted nails first. Then, the guilty hands driving them into the palms of innocence, the palms of steadfast devotion to the human race. The hands are trembling, and drip a cold, malevolent sweat. They grasp the wounded skin underneath them and move with an unrelenting sharpness. They raise the hammer and in a matter of seconds, it batters the head of the nail. The man trapped underneath stifles what is certain to be a bloodcurdling scream. I trace the hand stained with the innocent man’s blood and see a soldier of sin with empty eyes and a plagued soul. Those hands are my hands; I am that soldier. The outpouring of love trickles down my flesh. I am sickened, and haunted, by a grace that I cannot comprehend. This is the Christ, the lamb who was sent for slaughter. The love that He possessed for all of mankind is one acquired by few, such as the fictitious Hassan in Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner. However, I am convicted that it is a vital tool in living a life that is fulfilling to oneself as well as to others. As is evident in Hosseini’s novel, religious history, and the course of humanity, this kind of love often lends itself to fortitude, scorn, and sacrifice.

            "The Servant grew up before God- a scrawny seedling, a scrubby plant in a parched field. There was nothing attractive about him, nothing to cause us to take a second look.    He was looked down on and passed over, a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.             One look at him and people turned away. We look down on him, thought he was scum . . ."  (Isaiah 53:2-3)

            In  Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, readers are given a clear picture of the treatment faced by Hassan and other Afghani Hazaras. It goes without saying that the minority group is subject to constant degradation and inferiority. At the start of the novel, Hassan is a young, harelipped, Hazara boy who is by no means a friend of society. Due to prejudices against those of his race, religion, and class, Hassan is bound to a world of injustice and lowliness. However, Hassan proves to be a true hero for many characters in the novel when it truly matters.

In Jesus’ time, carpenters and other manual labors were at the much lower end of the social spectrum. On annount of heavy taxes by Roman officials as well as tithes required by Jewish law, he was in a poor place financially and within society. Jews in general were also looked down upon seeing as how they seemed to ‘interfere’ with the overall advancement of the Roman Empire. Despite this grim circumstance, Jesus taught that persons should learn to be content with what they were given and live a reputable lifestyle even in the face of injustice. His social class did not define him, rather he used it as an opportunity to display his grace to those of all walks of life. Similarly, Hassan knows of his place in his community, but that does not hinder him from contributing to it, although it is done on a very humble and personal level. I find the ability to radiate a positive light into a community that lashes constant malevolence upon one’s class or circumstance to be truly admirable. A willingness to put aside hindrances for the greater good of a race- the human race, in Jesus’s case, a community, a family, or an individual- the latter two being common for young Hassan, is an essential component of learning to live a lifestyle of genuine love.

“. . . But the fact is, it was our pains he carried- our disfigurements, all the things wrong   with us. We thought he brought it on himself, that God was punishing him for his own             failures. But it was our sins that did that to him, that ripped and tore and crushed him- our             sins! He took the punishment, and that made us whole. Through his bruises we are             healed. Were all like sheep who’ve wandered off and gotten lost. We’ve all done our own thing, gone our own way. And GOD has piled all our sins, everything we’ve done wrong, on him, on him . . .”(Isaiah 53:4-6)

On a cold, fateful night in a cramped alleyway, Hassan takes Amir’s wrongdoings upon himself in a dehumanizing rape. When he runs the coveted last-kite of the tournament, he encounters the hostile Assef and his fearful followers who seek to teach the “useless hazara” a lesson. He is granted a choice, however. He can hand the precious kite over to the other boys, or he can pay the consequence that refusing to do so will ensue. He makes the choice that most- even the most loyal, most generous individuals could not dream of making. The kite is ridden with sin, with selfish desires, and with pride. Still, he defends it and the battles it represents with all of his might. The alleyway reeks of fear and of cowardice, yet Hassan humbly and courageously sheds his guileless blood.

Crucifixion was a popular, yet brutal, punishment established to rid society of the foulest offenders. The cross was reserved for thieves and murderers- not for those of innocent flesh. However, as was predicted by prophets of the Old Testament, Jesus took the fall for the inequities of many. In the last hours of his life, he is brutalized, mocked, and tormented for no fault of his own. Taking undeserved punishment for the benefit of one for whom mercy is equally undeserved is not something commonly seen amongst the human race. However, much of society today revolves around the belief that a single man laid down his life to do just that.

"He was beaten, he was tortured, but he didn’t say a word. Like a lamb taken to be             slaughtered and like a sheep being sheared, he took it all in silence" (Isaiah 53:7).

                                                                 

 

           Throughout the novel, Hassan submits himself to the mistreatment of the government, society, his peers, and even his own brother. Despite this, he does not respond to evil with evil, but attempts to overcome it with a powerful, and incredible compassion. Following the rape, Amir desperately seeks to find redemption by having Hassan give him the retribution he deserves. For instance, Amir assaults him with massive pomegranates, in hopes that he will retaliate.  “ ‘Hit me back!’ I spat. ‘Hit me back, goddamn you!’ I wished he would. I wished he’d give me the punishment I craved, so maybe I’d finally sleep at night” (Hosseini 92). Knowing that his transgressions are the reason for Hassan’s attack is exceedingly difficult for Amir to cope with, and he feels that Hassan’s venegence will quell his guilt. Nevertheless, Hassan’s unexpected gesture of clemency proves to be much more painful than his revenge ever could have been. I have found through the course of my own life that killing my enemies with kindness not only leaves me feeling more satisfied, but also gives them some sort of foundation of benevolence that I believe is important for all individuals, even the most coldhearted, to build their lives upon.

Hassan surrenders to serve his greatest debtors, as well as those he loves the most. Growing up as a servant to Amir and Baba, he lives a much more austere lifestyle as compared to his masters. While Amir goes through the motions of a routine he takes for granted, Hassan puts in tireless labor into a routine designed to supply Amir with his most basic needs. This unassuming servant will go to any lengths to ensure that Amir’s toast is buttered and his bags are packed properly. Not once is he idle in his duties. Not once does he utter a complaint. I find great joy in showing people love in such a manner. Although most overlook such small details, I myself feel most loved when others are consistent in going the extra mile to keep even the most minor aspects of my life in place.

Shortly before his death, Jesus takes care to wash the feet of each of his disciples. At this time, footwear was essentially nonexistent, and travel was by foot, therefore feet were characterized by severe wounds and griminess. Jesus brought himself down to that level in order to serve the ones that he loved most dearly. Although this ritual was not exceedingly drastic, it displayed a great deal of humility and care. Jesus left this model for his disciples of the selfless way they were to serve others so that they could benefit from redeeming love as well.

On Amir’s thirteenth birthday, Hassan encounters his assailant and is expected to serve him beverages. Instead of lashing out against the cruel Assef, or at the very least refusing to serve him, Hassan faces him with a gentle heart and a resilient spirit. I personally am an individual who will sacrifice most anything for someone that I love unconditionally, such as a friend of family member. To love my enemies unconditionally, however, is a much more daunting thought that makes me cringe in agony.

"Justice was miscarried and he was led off- did anyone know what was really             happening? He died without a thought for his own welfare, beaten bloody for the sins of             my people. They buried him with the wicked, threw him in a grave with a rich man, even though he’d never hurt a soul, or said one thing that wasn’t true " (Isaiah 53:8-9).

 

            When Amir returns to Pakistan to confront his past, he learns the unbearable: Hassan is dead. In a period of extreme turmoil and uncertainty within the nation of Afghanistan, there is very little that the Taliban cannot do. This is especially prevalent in an already ruthless massacre on Afghani Hazaras. Hassan is wrongfully accused of trespassing in the house of Amir’s childhood that he is trying to preserve. When he refuses to relocate his family, he is led out onto the street, shot, and killed, along with his wife. He does not argue, simply kneels and accepts his fate. I find that most incredible, along with the fact that until his dying moment he remained loyal to Amir, despite all of the anguish that their relationship had entailed.

"Still, it’s what God had in mind all along, to crush him with pain. The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin so that he’d see life come from it- life, life, and more    life, and God’s plan will prosper deeply through him. Out of the terrible travail of the    soul, he’ll see that it’s worth it and be glad he did it. Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant, will make many more ‘righteous ones,’ as he carries the burden of their sins. Therefore I’ll reward him extravagantly- the best of everything, the highest honors- because he looked death in the face and didn’t flinch, because he embraced the company of the lowest. He took on his shoulders the sin of many, he took up the cause of all the black sheep" (Isaiah 53: 10-12).

                In my mind, there is only one word, and one thing, that adequately describe Hassan’s actions in The Kite Runner, and of course, Jesus’s in the bible. That thing is love- love that is merciful, embracing, and ultimately sacrificial. Although the historical Jesus is no longer physically present to see the far-reaching effects that his acts of mercy had on earth, the remarkable reparation of relation between God and man continues as new souls see this light each day. Although Hassan never lived to see Amir find the courage to embrace his son Sohrab, Amir ultimately learns a lesson of love, redemption, and forgiveness.  The fact of the matter is, loving someone, especially someone who has hurt, abandoned, betrayed, or mistreated us is no easy task. It requires a bold acceptance that the love we exude may never be requited, or that even if it is, we may never live to see its effect. It demands the humility to put oneself under another for the sake of compassion and the building up of others. Most of all, I believe that love requires an unshakable faith that in its most authentic form, love will accomplish its predestined purpose in due course- a faith that love conquers, love redeems, and love heals.

 

 

               The bonds of sacrificial love that tie humanity together are truly incredible, and the cross is the epitome of this love. In what ways has love redeemed you? Where do you still need redemption?