THIRTY YEARS IN THE SHADOWS
Lev. 19:14/Ps. 27:10; 72:13-14/Ro. 13:8-10

The boy was only six when he mysteriously disappeared. The village contained only twelve small houses, so everyone lived together almost like one large family. They knew each other’s lifestyles as well as their habits, and few secrets were kept between them. No one could imagine what had happened to the boy.

Then, suddenly, after an absence of thirty-three long years, Rudolff Sulzberger reappeared. It was learned that his parents had kept him hidden in the basement of their home because Rudolff was mentally retarded.

As incredible as it may seem, it was nevertheless true. Johann and Aloisia Sulzberger, of Berg Attergan, Austria, had kept their son in hiding for thirty-three years. They were ashamed.

It's hard to believe that because a son is mentally handicapped he would be forced to remain within four walls for so many years. Young Rudolff was kept from going outside. He was not allowed to participate in the family activities, or to be seen by anyone.

God is the creator of every person in the world. Therefore, every individual, regardless of physical or mental condition, deserves to be treated with dignity, respect and love. When we don't appreciate, or worse yet, when we consider anyone who may have some abnormality, to be less than human, it is most revolting. On the other hand, if there is anything worthy of admiration it's the attention, dedication and love that parents, relatives and friends give to those who suffer from any kind of physical or mental impairment.

There does not exist in all the universe one single reason why a parent should reject a son or daughter. We cannot possibly know God, His love, His mercy, His forgiveness, and His kindness, if we don't know the difference between relationship and behavior. No child should be loved because he or she is good. If God loved us because we were good, no human being would ever know God's love. Love that is an exchange for good behavior is not love. We must let our children know that we love them even when we can't approve their behavior.

If you have suffered the lack of appreciation or cruel rejection from others, especially from your family, please know that you are very special to God. In fact, Jesus always addressed with great compassion and understanding the abandoned, the rejected, and the unloved. Let us do the same.

Pray today for the listeners in Neiba, Dominican Republic as they tune into Radio Neiba. A MESSAGE TO THE CONSCIENCE is heard at 6:30 AM and 6:00 PM everyday of the week. This secular station has a potential audience of 100,000 listeners.