Kenneth

Since I had given my entire collection of Bibles away to those in need who have asked for one, I stopped on my way home last evening at a thrift store. As I looked through the Bibles and books on prayer, a young man walked up to me. His name is Kenneth, and he moved to America from Uganda 7-years ago.  He said, "Most Ugandans received Bibles because of the Gideon’s.” 

As I listened to Kenneth share his journey, the movie, “Hotel Rwanda” ran through my head. His compassion translates to love. He cares for the developmentally disabled in supported living settings.

When I asked him to name a challenge or what he did not understand when he moved to America, Kenneth said without pause: “I did not know where to go to church. There are too many denominations. I did not know which church to choose. American’s seem to over think God. Isn’t there one God?”

Kenneth continued to pull this torn, tattered and worn copy of the King James Bible from the shelf. He repeatedly handed it to me. I replaced it on the shelf each time. The final time Kenneth removed it from the shelf. He offered this piece of scripture for me:

“²⁴ Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.”                                         

-1 Peter 2:24 King James Version (KJV)

He handed me the Bible one more time as he walked away. I thumbed through it, and I realized that my Shaffer cousins would understand these comments.  There was a copy of Psalm 121 that my Grandpa Shaffer had me memorize as a young child secured with a rusty paperclip to the front page. There was clip shaped as a heart with the saying:  “I Love Step.”  I do not plan to move either item from their place in the Bible.

This Bible was given to another stranger named Raymond with an inscription from another stranger, named David: “To Raymond on his birthday with best wishes. David.” March 12, 1959.

This Bible will be a gift for more years to come.