Little Cayman, British
West Indies
Dear Kim:
Last night after services, I asked the minister if he had a minute
to talk. I wanted to know how he had come to Little Cayman and how
he felt about his life and work here.
We sat down and he told me about his days working as a nuclear engineer
at a navy shipyard in Virginia and how unhappy he had been.
About how one day, someone had handed him a slip of paper on his way
to work, that asked have you accepted Jesus Christ as your
Lord and savior.
That he had been working the third shift that night and he went over
to look at the bible on a colleague’s desk and realized that
he needed to ask Jesus into his life.
(Kim:
Saturday, in the mail, I got a book in the mail that I had ordered
for the author (Jim Stone) of a book called Stranger than Fiction.
The book I had ordered was also called Stranger than Fiction,
but was by my great uncle, Lewis Browne.
The book
was all marked up only on the chapter on Jesus (Joshua), who Lewis
describes as the "most written about Jew."
The
parts of the book that were underlined were all about Jesus,
and how he was
warm and kind, as opposed to the other prophets who were fierce
and impatient. I felt more akin to him on that accord.)
About
how his wife, a dental hygienist, had been upset at first when
he told her he was saved and had said,
you’re
not going to go all Jesus freaky on me, are you?
That eventually, she became interested in Jesus,
too, and he could tell because her disposition
changed. They
had
had problems
in
their marriage and she had been very sad because
of a miscarriage but now she was loving and supportive.
He said he spent six to eight hours preparing
for every service, from picking the music to
writing
the sermon
and that while he
might sometimes like the excitement of preaching
to thousands of people, as he had done in revival
meetings, he was
content to reach
only a few people because it was serving God
one person at a time.
I looked at my watch and realized it was growing
late. I didn’t want my sister to worry so I said I
had to go.
Almost like a man on a date who realizes he has
monopolized the conversation he said, “But what about you? We haven’t
really talked about you. Have you been saved? You must
have a story.”
I assured him I had. Although I doubt he would
have had feminism or art or cancer in mind as
turning points or
states of consciousness
if I had elaborated. I told him I would come
by the next time I was on the island and that
I had
enjoyed the service.
As I walked back, I thought, we all need to be
saved by something. To have something we care
deeply about
besides
our own often
silly
preoccupations.
Sure, I love Jesus. I love Mohammed and Allah and Buddha, too. I only
do not love what (religion) has been done to humanity, to Jews and
to others, in the name of religion.
(Kim:
Me too!)
Later,
Joan
Monday, March 20, 2006