Friday, August 2, 2013

48- Memory of Stephen

We know that Luke wrote the book of Acts and he wrote a gospel in his name as well. From Acts we know that one of the Jews called Stephen was stoned to death. He faced his fellow Jews by religious facts from the bible to remind them that God promised them to send them a prophet like Moses from among them; and this one was Jesus. He said,
     "Look! I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand side of God."
With loud cry they rushed at him and threw him out of the city and stoned him. When Saul, later became Paul, knew it he approved of his murder and went from house to house and dragged out the believers and threw them into gail.
     We know also that Paul became a believer after a meeting with the Lord in his way to Damascus. Paul made great efforts in preaching Jesus. He didn't earn money from preaching but he earned money from making tents and selling them.
     I searched my events to find out all these actions. The name Stephen is rare in the Egyptian society. Muslims didn't use it and the Christians whom I happened to deal with  didn't use it also. However I recall that there was only one name among the famous actors of Egypt carries the name Stephan Rusty. He made many films.
    I recall also that after I retired from the Navy I was to take a photo for myself to deliver it to the community of the ancient warriors. I saw the tag of a shop for a photographer called Stephen at tram station of Baccus. I entered saying peace and Stephen replied the peace with broad smile. It was clear that he was good in Arabic although he was from a foreign country. I sat down before his camera and he looked through his lens and took a photo of me. After two days I returned to him and he delivered me a good photo. I thought it was the best photo in all my life. Because I used to get photos that never get my shape exactly. But this one which Stephen took for me represented me exactly. 
     However when I delivered that photo to the general of the community of ancient warriors he looked at it and said,
     " I can't accept it."
     "Why?" I asked.
     "The hair is long," he said.  "It doesn't suit a military man. You should get another one."
     I recall also that my area in which I lived after marriage is beside an area by the name San Stephano. There was a good Casino in that area and many times I met my friends in it to spend good time. Lately this casino was destroyed and replaced by a very huge Hotel. They said that a famous billionaire in Egypt was behind building it. That billionaire was famous and he built modern cities on very vast areas. One day they said he was put in prison 15 years for taking part in a murder. 
Finally I came to the conclusion that the famous actor Stephan Rusty was the reincarnation of Luke. And the photographer Stephen was the reincarnation of Stephen of Acts.  And the famous billionaire was the reincarnation of Paul (Saul). See how God repays with justice!