“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. Acts 9:5 (NIV)
F OR TWO HUNDRED YEARS THE war between the two mighty kingdoms of Ussa and Hagona had been going on with no end in sight. The plains, hills and valleys surrounding these kingdoms were soaked with the blood of men, women and children and yet there was no end in sight. The battles raged from one generation to the next and the children of each generation were told to win at all cost. Children were plucked out of their families at a tender age and sent to warrior camps where they were schooled in the art of war.
A war culture had taken over these societies and no one was willing to farm anymore because the enemy will devastate the crops.
Famine was now imminent and hopelessness was rife among the people. Yet stubbornness and pride continued to have the upper hand.
Had any sensible peacemakers been born yet? Everyone pondered over this question, yet no one dared to ask. Tarala the warrior, king of Ussa was now old and his pressing objective was to get his sons ready to lead his kingdom to victory, albeit an elusive one.
He had seven sons and trained them in combat and statecraft relentlessly from sunrise to sunset every day. Tarala noticed however,