The dictionary defines orphan as "a
child whose parents are deceased." That's a very short definition that
is to the point, but it nowhere begins to reflect the long life of challenges
that face young people in this predicament. For all of us who consider
ourselves Christian, one telling scripture is James 1:27 that defines "pure
and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans
and widows in their trouble." God succinctly points out that pure religion,
or what we might call "the real stuff," is not so much what we know, but
much more what we are doing for others who have no way at this time in
their lives to give to us in return. God lays special claim to such young
ones by proclaiming in Psalm 68:5 that He is a "father of the fatherless."
I want to share with you a remarkable example
of a man now dead, whose memory lives in the heart of the fatherless,
and whose legacy can be a tool for understanding our role in future
events.
The Indianapolis Star recently picked
up a story written by E.A. Torriero for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel titled "Jordanian
Orphans Call Palace Their Home, Thanks to the Late King." This piece
was written shortly after the death of King Hussein of Jordan. It describes
a unique love affair that emerged between a man of incredible privilege
and wealth and orphans facing an uncertain future.
Torriero describes "pictures of the smiling,
famous king—the man the peasant teenagers so dearly adored—hang neatly
in every room of the ornate mansion." Why the pictures? Why the adoration?
The palace was King Hussein's favorite retreat. High on a windswept
hill, it gazed west to the glimmering lights of Jerusalem. Hussein
built the $87 million, two-story residence in the 1970s as living quarters
for himself and his third wife, Queen Alia. After the queen was killed
in a helicopter crash in 1977, Hussein buried her on a knoll within
sight of his bedroom window. Upon the king's remarriage, Hashemiyeh
Palace became the official guesthouse for visiting dignitaries. President
Clinton, Yasser Arafat, Israeli prime ministers and European leaders
have all stayed here.
