by J. Randal Matheny

In 1977 Merhan Karimi Nasseri was expelled from his native Iran, without a passport, for protesting against the Shah. He bounced around Europe in search of a country and finally gained refugee papers from Belgium in 1981. Only to have them stolen. So in August of 1988, he got stuck in Charles De Gaulle Airport in Paris, France. No papers, no way of getting out, nowhere to go.

He took up residence in Terminal One. He's been there ever since. He's never put a foot out into the sunshine. Since 1988, he's never had his own quarters, never worked a single day, never walked through a meadow or park.

What a sad thing, right? Yes, until 1999.

That's when he finally got permission to leave the airport. Granted new papers, he can go to any part of Europe, if he wants. But now he won't leave.

"He is scared to leave this bubble world he has been living in," said Dr. Philippe Bargain, the airport's medical director. "Finally getting the papers has been a huge shock to him, as if he was just thrown from his horse. When you wait 11 years for something and suddenly in a few minutes you sign some papers and it's done — imagine what a shock that is."/1

He's free, but after 11 years of captivity in an airport terminal, he just can't bring himself to walk away.

And he has money. Dreamweaver is said to have paid him $250,000 for the rights to his story, for the movie, "The Terminal," with Tom Hanks.

What makes a man with money and papers stay in the terminal prison he inhabited for 11 years?

The same fear that keeps us imprisoned in our resentments, behaviors, vices, and sins. The same feeling of being accustomed to our little world of selfishness, pride, and egotism. The intimate knowledge of every corner of our puny existence versus the great, wide world of God's immense mercy and mission.

Nasseri is not alone in his predicament. So many of us are just like him. Hunkering in our habits, hiding in our corners.

To this day, Nasseri looks out the automatic doors of the Charles De Gaulle Airport and sees the sun, feels the breeze of the open air, but can't bring himself to step out into freedom.

For you, too, the doors are open. The sun of God's grace is shining. The cool wind of Christ's salvation is blowing.

Just walk out. Freedom is a step away.

"For freedom Christ has set us free" (Galatians 5:1).

1/ www.snopes.com