Tapestry

One of the most beautiful areas of the world, high in the Himalayas is the country of Kashmir.

Kashmir is the northwestern region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term "Kashmir" referred only to the valley lying between the Great Himalayas and the Pir Panjal range; since then, it has been used for a larger area that today includes the Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir consisting of the Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh; the Pakistani-administered provinces of the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, and the Chinese-administered region of Aksai Chin. In the first half of the first millennium, Kashmir became an important center of Hinduism and later of Buddhism; later still, in the ninth century, Kashmir Shaivism arose in the region.

The heritage of Kashmir during this period is well documented in Rajatarangini by Kalhana. In 1349, Shah Mirza became the first Muslim ruler of Kashmir and inaugurated the line Salatin-i-Kashmir. For the next five centuries Kashmir had Muslim monarchs, including the Mughals, who ruled until 1751, and thereafter, the Afghan Durranis, who ruled until 1820. That year, the Sikhs under Ranjit Singh, annexed Kashmir. In 1846, upon the purchase of the region from the British under the Treaty of Amritsar, the Dogras ( I have visited Amritsar twice and the gold temple of the Sihks)—under Gulab Singh—became the new rulers. Dogra Rule, under the paramountcy (or tutelage) of the British Crown, lasted until 1947, when the former princely state became a disputed territory, now administered by three countries: India, Pakistan, and the People's Republic of China.(warfare and earthquakes have effected the whole area)

I was probably one of the last Americans to visit this mountainous wonderland because it has become a war zone between Pakistan and India. I remember not only the beautiful country but the beautiful people. Their beautiful lives so beautifully shown in the tapestries and rugs which they weave. As one who is totally blind I am still haunted by the scene of entire families sitting on the ground in shed-like structures knotting and weaving Kashmir carpets and tapestries. Most of the children, and they all work in the family business, because of the intricate work and poor lighting, lose their eyesight at a very early age. My guide explained how the hundreds of spools of thread were utilized in perfecting on one side of the carpet a marvelous scene, very smooth and intricate, but on the other side just a mass of knots, twists, and curls necessary in the final product.

How much the hand making of such a product of art is like the human life.  For most of us, it has been a matter of knots, twists, and curls under impossible circumstances in achieving the final product. (or as the scripture tells us the end of the race)  Dag Hammarskjold, Swedish, second secretary of the UN, killed in a plane crash early in his career in Zambia in 1961.  In his Bible, these words were found, “we are born to die“. Such was the comments of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Lutheran minister, who went to the gallows and was hanged naked along with other German Jews. ““Only he who believes is obedient and only he who is obedient believes.” (Dietrich Bonhoeffer) Someone who witnessed his execution said, “I never saw anyone walk so straight and his last words were that he was born to die”.


Old men dream dreams and young men see visions. As we approach the sunset years of our life we are more aware than in our youth that it is not a “dress rehearsal”.  It is so important, early in life, to get on the right road and stay in the right direction. I have known and employed many young men in my time.  I was always very serious about my life and I believe I could have been successful in accomplishments going in many directions.  One young man who worked for me, the survivor of many tragedies, said to me one time when we were eating in a restaurant “my mother did not want me, she gave me away and I have never had a chance at all”. Later, one day when driving for me he said “I don’t understand why you are so good to me”, I said, “I don’t want you to ever say again that no one has ever been good to you or not treated you well”.

We hear daily of the crime statistics, the short comings of our young people.  I have said from the public platform many times, “it amazes me that most of them turn out as well as they do”.  An article in a local newspaper, the Raleigh NC News and Observer, featured an article about the death of a small boy.  The article went into detail describing the wounds, broken bones, and internal injuries of long standing, before the child finally died from horrendous abuse.  I went to the sink in my kitchen and just threw up because this was a child of God, a child that could have been a blessing to loving parents. Hell is really too good for adults who abuse children.

Yet, the greatest abuse of children, in this country as in other Godless countries in the world happens before birth when the small baby is torn apart in the mothers womb in the most horrible of all atrocities, pre-birth and partial birth abortion.  Those who have seen the small limbs, hands, faces, do not easily forget the abortion holocaust promoted by such pro abortion politicians as president Obama, governor, now secretary of human resources, Kathleen Sebelius, who vetoed six bills passed by the Kansas legislature to prohibit such destruction of life.  Her greatest supporter financially and otherwise who has made a fortune doing these abortions, Dr. Tiller, as well as the planned parenthood group. 

God is still in charge, and this country as in China, Russia, Cuba, North Korea, and the others who in the details of history have never prospered as a nation. Pope John Paul, said “any nation that kills its own cannot be called a nation“.  Will it take a disastrous earthquake, a terrorist strike, which in either case could lead to the death of millions, to awaken this country to the danger of spitting in the face of a God capable of wrath. 

The Catholic church, more so than these smaller protestant denominations who are declining in effectiveness (the mainline denominations declined 12% last year, there are more professed atheist than ever before, 12%), are on the forefront in the pro-life battle.  They always have been in the forefront with children, even when Arch Bishop Sheen was alive and giving his television broadcasts for 30 years.  Sometimes he would get as many as 100,000 letters a week with money to help in the fight against poverty and abortion.  Once, in the Congo, near Goma (where today much fighting and horrendous torture is taking place) I met a Catholic priest, Father Swain, who was driving a pick up truck, on the back of which were 6 AIDS victims. Males who were almost dead from this dread disease that is wiping out Africa.  A nanny goat was in the back with them which furnished nourishment for them as he was trying to maneuver the truck through unspeakable bush country to a hospital.  He told me, “I cannot help very many of them, but I do what I can”.  He also said, “Americans have no idea of how many people are dying in this country, and on this continent”.  The abortionist would say that all these sick people, and the disabled, (such as myself) should not or do not have a life.  These “normal”, superior human beings, do not understand the weaving of a tapestry or expensive Kashmir carpet. 

Cale Young Rice in his play “The Immortal Lure” Says we must see Jesus in the faces of those we are trying to help.

In the early years of this nation most people lived on farms, where they knew the fascination of life, seeds that became plants, animals which produced young animals, hens hatching eggs on nests which became young chickens. They saw the face of God in the sun and the rain, the attention necessary for the production and growth of plants and animals.  Life and its blessings are no longer important to children who spend most of their time in front of Satan’s idol, the Television set. The helplessness of our blessed Lord on a cruel cross means nothing to a nation that has cursed the most innocent of life and those who live productive committed lives.


When the unbelievers pass through the “valley of the shadow of death“, (Psalms 23) will they have any regrets about their life or the lives they have snuffed out?