mera janm saxony praant ke ek gaanv mein hua tha. yah praant German loktaantrik ganrajya (g.d.r) mein padta tha. hamare ghar ka maahaul bahot pyar-bhara tha. mere maata-pita ne mujhe achhe naitik star sikhaye the. us vakt g.d.r mein saamyavad ka zor tha, isliye hamare praant ke zyadatar logon ke liye dharm koi maayne nahin rakhta tha. mera to maanna tha ki ishvar hai hi nahin. atharah saal tak meri zindagi do vichardharaon ke ird-gird hi ghoomati rahi. ek, naastikvad aur doosri, saamyavad.

mujhe saamyavad bahot achha lagta tha, kyonki ismein sikhaya jaata hai ki sabhi ek saman hain. mera yah bhi maanna tha ki saari sampatti sab mein barabar baanti jaani chahiye. isi se ameeri-gareebi ki khaai pat sakti hai. main ek saamyavadi yuva sanghathan se jud gaya aur uske kaamon mein zor-shor se lag gaya. jab main 14 saal ka hua, tab mainne raddi kaagaz ko dobara istemal karne ki yojna par kaam kiya, jisse vaatavaran achha hota. ismein meri kadi mehnat dekhkar aau kasbe ke log itne khush huye ki vahaan ke adhikariyon ne mujhe ek puraskar diya. abhi main chhota hi tha, fir bhi G.D.R. ke kuch bade-bade netaon se meri jaan-pehchan ho gayi thi. mujhe laga ki main sahi disha mein jaa raha hoon aur mera bhavishya ujjval hai.

fir ek din achanak meri duniya badal gayi. san 1989 mein berlin ki deevar gira di gayi aur poorvi europe mein saamyavad khatm ho gaya. isse mujhe bahot bada jhatka laga. mujhe kuch aur baatein jaankar bhi dukh hua. jaise, G.D.R. mein bahot naainsafi hoti thi. jo saamyavad ka samarthan nahin karte the, unhein nichle darje ka naagrik samjha jaata tha. is vajah se mere man mein kai saval ghoomne lage. yah kaise ho sakta hai? kya hum saamyavadi yah nahin maante ki sabhi ek saman hain? kya saamyavad sirf ek chhalava hai? main bahot pareshan ho gaya!

is vajah se main sab chhod-chhaadkar apna poora dhyan sangeet aur chitrakari mein lagane laga. mainne ek sangeet vidyalay mein daakhila le liya, jisse main aage chalkar vishvavidyalay mein bhi jaa sakta tha. main sangeetkar aur chitrakar banne ke sapne dekhne laga. bachpan mein mujhe jo naitik baatein sikhayi gayi thi, unhein mainne bhula diya. main bas maze karna chahta tha. main kai ladkiyon ke saath ghoomne-firne laga. lekin sangeet, kala aur befikra hokar jeene ke baavjood meri pareshani kam nahin hui. jo chitra main banata tha, unmein bhi ghabrahat jhalakti thi. jaise, na jaane aage kya hoga? hum yahaan kyon hain?

aakhirkaar mujhe apne savalon ke javab mil gaye. unhein jaankar main dang reh gaya. yah kaise hua? ek din shaam ko vidyalay mein main kuch vidyarthiyon ke saath bhavishya ke baare mein baatcheet kar raha tha. unmein mandy * naam ki ek ladki bhi thi, jo yahova ki sakshi thi. usne mujhse pate ki baat kahi. usne kaha, “andreas, agar tum zindagi aur bhavishya ke baare mein apne savalon ke javab chahte ho, to bible ko dhyan se padhkar dekho.”

main kashmakash mein pad gaya, fir mainne socha ki chalo ise padhkar dekh hi lete hain. mandy ne mujhe bible mein se daaniyel ki kitab ka adhyay 2 dikhaya. mainne usmein jo bhavishyavani padhi, usse main hairan reh gaya. usmein kai vishvashaktiyon ya sarkaron ki baat ki gayi hai, jinka aaj hamare zamane se bhi gehra naata hai. mandy ne mujhe bible se aur bhi bhavishyavaniyaan dikhayin, jo hamari zindagi se judi hain. ab jaakar mujhe apne savalon ke javab milne lage. lekin main sochne laga ki ye bhavishyavaniyaan kisne likhi hain? kaun bhavishya ke baare mein itna sahi-sahi bata sakta hai? kya sach mein ishvar hai?

mandy ne meri mulakat horst aur angelika se karvayi. woh bhi yahova ke sakshi the. woh mujhe pavitra shastra ki baatein sikhane lage. main jald hi samajh gaya ki yahova ke sakshiyon ka sanghathan hi parmeshvar ka naam, yahova lagatar istemal karta hai aur logon ko bhi is baare mein batata hai. (bhajan 83:18; matti 6:9) mainne seekha ki parmeshvar yahova insanon ko khoobsoorat dharti par hamesha ki zindagi dega. shastra mein likha hai, “yahova par aasha rakhnevale dharti ke vaaris honge.” (bhajan 37:9) mujhe yah jaankar achha laga ki yah zindagi aise har insan ko mil sakti hai, jo shastra mein bataye parmeshvar ke staron ke mutabik jeeta hai.

lekin mere liye un staron ke hisab se jeena bahot mushkil tha. mujhe khud mein bahot-se badlav karne the. kaamyab sangeetkar aur chitrakar hone ki vajah se mujhmein ghamand aa gaya tha. mujhe khud ko namra banana tha. mere liye anaitik kaam chhodna bhi aasaan nahin tha. main yahova ka bahot shukraguzar hoon ki woh un logon ke saath sabra aur daya se pesh aata hai aur unse hamdardi rakhta hai, jo shastra ke mutabik jeene ki koshish karte hain.

atharah ki umra tak saamyavad aur naastikvad ne meri zindagi ko dhaala, lekin uske baad se bible meri zindagi sanvar rahi hai. bible mein di baatein seekhne ki vajah se ab main bhavishya ke baare mein chinta nahin karta aur mere jeevan ko sahi disha mili hai. san 1993 se main bhi yahova ke sakshi ke taur par parmeshvar ki seva karne laga aur 2000 mein tabitha se meri shaadi ho gayi, jo yahova ki sakshi hai. hum logon ko shastra se sikhane mein apna zyada-se-zyada samay lagate hain. hum bahot logon se milte hain, unmein kai log saamyavadi aur naastik hain, jaise pehle main tha. jab main unhein batata hoon ki woh parmeshvar yahova ko kaise jaan sakte hain, tab mujhe bahot sukoon milta hai.

jab mainne yahova ke sakshiyon se milna-julna shuroo kiya, tab mere maata-pita ko bilkul achha nahin laga. lekin unhonne dekha ki yahova ke sakshiyon se sangati karne se mujh par kitna achha asar hua hai. khushi ki baat hai ki ab woh bhi bible padhte hain aur sakshiyon ki sabhaon mein jaate hain.

tabitha aur mujhe ek-doosre ka saath bahot achha lagta hai. iski vajah hai ki pati-patniyon ke liye bible mein jo salah di gayi hai, hum us par chalne ki poori koshish karte hain. jaise, ek-doosre ke vafadar rehne ki salah maanne se hamari shaadi ka bandhan mazboot hota jaa raha hai.—ibraniyon 13:4.

ab main bhavishya aur apni zindagi ke baare mein sochkar pareshan nahin hota. mujhe lagta hai ki main poori duniya mein faile yahova ke sakshiyon ke parivar ka bhaag hoon, jismein shaanti aur ekta hai. main hamesha se yahi maanta aaya tha ki sabhi insan ek saman hain aur yah baat mujhe yahova ke sakshiyon mein dekhne ko mili.