In alfaaz ne surat-e-haal se kaisa parda utha kar asal haqeeqat ko kaise aashkaar kiya hai! Behtar hai ke kuch dair thehar kar is dil-kharaash magar nihayat sabaq-aamoz manzar ko hum baghaur dekhein. Hamari aam ibaadat ki haraamkaariyan—is mein shaamil riyaakaari, rasmi tarz-e-amal, neem-garm rawaiya, be-adabi, paraagandah khayaali aur Khuda-faramoshi—sab kuch is badi mein shaamil hai!
Khudawand ke liye hamari khidmat—is mein baahmi raqabat, khud-gharzi, la-parwaahi, susti aur be-imaani—in mein kitni napaaki paayi jaati hai! Hamari niji ibaadaat—un ki dheel, sard-mehri, ghaflat, ghanoodgi aur khud-pasandi—in mein kaisi murda-dili nazar aati hai!
Yeh to woh khabasatein hain jo pehli nazar mein dekhte hi ayaan ho jaati hain, lekin agar gehraai mein dekha jaye to in ke andar is se bhi zyada badi la‘natein nazar aana shuru ho jaati hain.
Doctor Payson apne bhai ke naam aik khat mein yun raqam-taraaz hain:
“Meri kaleesia, aur mera apna dil bhi, kaahil aadmi ke baagh ki maanind ujaarr aur veeraan hai; balkeh is se bhi zyada khaufnaak baat yeh hai ke jab mere andar in dono ke sudhaar ki khwahish paida hoti hai to us khwahish ki jarr bhi takabbur, khud-numaai aur kaahili mein pewast milti hai. Main apne ujray baagh mein jaga-jaga phaili hui jhaariyon ko dekhta hoon to mera dil foran chahta hai ke unhein jarr se ukhaar phenkun—magar kyun? Is khwahish ke peeche kya muharrik hai? Mumkin hai yeh is liye ho ke main tehalte hue apne aap se keh sakun ke mera baagh kis qadar munazzam aur murattab hai—yeh takabbur hai. Ya yeh ke mere parosi deewar ke us paar se dekh kar kahein ke aap ka baagh kitna khoob phal-phool raha hai—yeh khud-numaai hai. Ya phir main jhaariyon ke khatme ki khwahish is liye karun ke main unhein ukhaarte ukhaarte thak gaya hoon—yeh kaahili hai. Is tarah hamari paakeezgi ki mi‘raaj ko paane ki khwahishaat tak bhi napaak muharrikaat se aalooda ho sakti hain.”
Sab se hari bhari ghaas ke neeche bhi keere chhupe hote hain; unhein dhoondhne ke liye zyada talaash darkaar nahin hoti. Yeh kitna tasalli-bakhsh khayaal hai ke jab Sardar Kaahin muqaddas cheezon ki badi ko uthaye hue tha to us ki peshani par yeh alfaaz naqsh thay: “Khudawand ke liye muqaddas.”
Isi tarah jab Yesu‘ hamare gunaah uthaye hue hai to woh Baap ke huzoor hamari napaaki nahin balkay apni hi paakeezgi aur raast-baazi ka nazraana pesh karta hai. Kaash humein yeh fazl haasil ho ke imaan ki aankh se apne azeem Sardar Kaahin ko dekhein aur us ki paakeezgi mein apni apni zindagi basar karein!

Imaandaar ke liye Masih ke saath rafaaqat se barh kar koi khushi nahin hoti. Us ke paas woh shaadmaani hai jise doosre log zindagi ki aam nematon mein talaash karte hain, aur woh shaadmaani humein Masih par imaan laane se haasil hoti hai. Lekin roohani aur jismani cheezen alag alag bhi hain aur aik jaisi bhi; albattah jismani cheezon ke baare mein aik baat hum poore wusooq ke saath keh sakte hain ke woh hamare dil ko woh gehra aur daaimi itminaan nahin de paatein jo aap ko apne be-misaal Khudawand Yesu ki zaat-e-aqdas mein milta hai.
Aap ke paas aik aisi mai hai jo zameen ke kisi taakistaan se kabhi paida nahin hui, aur aik aisi roti hai jo Misr ke tamaam khet bhi faraham nahin kar sakte thay. Woh mithaas kahan mil sakti hai jo aap ne apne mehboob Yesu‘ ki qurbat mein chakhi? Hamare nazdeek zameen ki khushiyan, Yesu‘ jo aasmani mann hai, ke muqaable mein sooron ki phaliyon se zyada haisiyat nahin rakhtien.
Aap aik lamhe ke liye bhi agar Masih ki muhabbat ka zaiqa paa lein aur aap ko us ki rafaaqat ka aik ghoont bhi naseeb ho jaye, to aap duniya bhar ki tamaam jismani lazzaton par usey tarjeeh denge. Bhoosi ka gandum se kya muqaabla, naqli chamak ka asal heere se kya jor, khwaab ka jeeti jaagti haqeeqat se kya rishta, aur waqt ki behtareen khushi ka us Yesu ke saath kya muwaazna jo apni sab se farotan haalat mein bhi jalaal se ma‘moor hai.
Agar aap baatini zindagi se zara bhi waaqif hain to aap iqraar karein ge ke hamari sab se haqeeqi, a‘la, paakeeza aur daaimi khushiyan us Hayaat ke Darakht ka phal hain jo Khuda ke Firdos ke darmiyaan hai. Koi chashma us kunwein jaisa meetha paani nahin deta jise sipahi ke neza ne khoda.
Tamaam zameeni masarratein zameeni hi rehti hain, lekin Masih ki huzoori se haasil hone wali khushiyan khud us ki maanind aasmani hain. Jab aap Yesu ke saath apni rafaaqat par nazar daalte hain to is mein koi khaali-pan ya pachtaawa nahin paate; na is mai mein talchhat hai aur na is khushboo mein koi karwaahat.
Khudawand ki khushi mazboot aur daaimi hai. Yeh batlaan ke dekhne ki cheez nahin, balkeh hikmat aur fahm is ki gawaahi dete hain ke yeh barson ki kasauti par poori utarti hai aur waqt mein bhi aur abadit mein bhi baja taur par waahid haqeeqi shaadmaani kehlaane ke laaiq hai. Behtareen ghiza, tasalli, farhat aur taazgi mein se koi cheez Yesu‘ ki muhabbat ka muqaabla nahin kar sakti; is liye aaiye aaj ki shaam hum Masih ke ishq se khoob sair hon.