Except for the Grace of God...

“For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.” James 2:10

Sometimes I think I live under a rock. That is how I felt when I read the story of Comrade Duch. I came across the book “The Lost Executioner” a journey to the heart of the killing fields by Nic Dunlop about a month ago, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. The book is about the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, and specifically the author’s investigation to find one of the leaders of the regime. Comrade Duch was the infamous commandant of the S-21 camp. A school turned into a prison camp during the Khmer Rouge reign. According to the tribunal that sentenced Duch, he was personally responsible for the overseeing of 12,000 murders at S-21.
In the chapter called “Confession”, Dunlop informs Duch, that he knows that he is the lost executioner of S-21.

“Duch seemed happy to talk. He told us of his conversion to Christianity and showed us the two laminated certificates that he had received after attending the seminars held by Pastor Lapel. The certificates applauded his ‘personal leadership development, teambuilding and deepening commitment to Jesus Christ.’ ‘I am a son of God,’ he told Nate with a grin. “ p270

Wow! The book goes on to tell about how Duch was lead to faith in Jesus Christ. This man is personally responsible for the deaths of over 12,000 people and now he is a Christian!

I watched an interview on TV the other night with Christopher Hitchens. I don’t remember the exact quote but he basically said “this God would allow a child in India who never heard the news of a savior from 2000 years ago, die and go to hell, but will allow murderer’s who repent and say they believe, to spend eternity in Heaven? This is not a God that I would serve”.

Two things are happening in this statement. A low view of God, and a high view of man. Stories like Comrade Duch’s help us wrestle with the grace of God, and the depravity of man. The world looks at Comrade Duch and sees a man who killed 12,000 people. God looks at him and sees Christ. The world looks at mankind, and sees, for the most part, good people caught up in suffering. Sure they may do "bad" things here and there, but for the most part they are nothing like Comrade Duch. God looks at mankind and sees what the Apostle James says, “whoever breaks the law at one point, is accountable for all of it”. We are not better than Comrade Duch. We may have not killed 12,000 people, but we stand equally condemned before a holy, just God. The good news is, by grace, through faith, because of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, we too can say with Comrade Duch ‘I am a son of God’.

This summer, pick up the book “The Lost Executioner” and weep over the amazing depravity of man, and the amazing grace of God.

Here is a link to a "Time" magazine article about the pastor who led Duch to the Lord