On taking my breakfast - a delicious meal of sugared tea and brown bread - I picked my bag, bid my parents goodbye and then set out for Sylvester's studio which is in Utawala, a town about twenty kilometres from Nairobi City. My journey to Utawala was quite long as it entailed walking, boarding two public service vehicles and riding in a motorbike.
I arrived at Sylvester's studio at around 10.00am, just as we had agreed. What was even better was that I was feeling bright and cheerful while I walked into the compound of the buildings that house the studio. Unhappily though, Sylvester was busy doing something in the studio. He therefore requested me to wait in another mansion next to the studio.
The mansion, which was under construction, was reeking of paint. And there were workers, clad in paint-stained clothes, who were busy hammering some bricks and carrying bags of cement for use in whatever they were constructing. I feared the smell of paint could cause me a headache, thus making me less bright and cheerful.
As I waited for Sylvester to finish what he was doing, I took out my Bible and reread the book of Ezra, just to remind myself who Ezra was and why he is considered a noble character. I also read some information in the glossary pages of the Bible.
Well, I can't remember what I learnt about Ezra since the workers kept interrupting me with their work. The little I gleaned from the Bible was that Cyrus, who is mentioned in the book of Ezra, was a king of Persia. And Persia was an ancient nation in what is now Iran. Did you know that?
I paused reading my Bible when I spotted Sylvester outside his studio. Carrying the Bible with me, I went to ask him whether he was done with whatever he was doing. He was with another lady who I greeted as I talked with Sylvester. The lady responded to my greetings warmly, and when she saw me clutching my Bible, she asked me in Swahili, "Kwani wewe ni muhubiri? (Are you a preacher?)"
To tell you the truth, the lady's question embarrassed me. I also felt ashamed to be seen with my Bible. Not wanting to be thought of as a preacher, I mumbled something to her along the lines of having never been a pastor. Thankfully, she received a phone call that cut our conversation short. As she engaged her caller in a talk, I asked myself, "Why should I be embarrassed of reading the Bible in public?"
By the way, that was not the first time I had been ashamed of being seen reading the Bible in public. I have had similar experiences in the past. And I don't know why I have found it shameful to be seen with my Bible in public. Maybe it's because people who read the Bible are considered pious, and pious people are thought of as strict, preachy, boring and intolerant - the last traits I'd like to have on Earth.
I have always wanted to be someone fun to be with, someone with a warm personality, who respects the beliefs of others. And when I get married, I'd like to have an exciting sex life with my wife. The Bible does actually exhort us to be kind, friendly and accepting of others. It says God's wish for us is that we love all people, judge no one and enjoy sexual ecstasy in marriage.
As I now reflect on the experiences I had last Wednesday in Sylvester's studio, I regret feeling embarrassed to be seen carrying my Bible in public. But I am glad I read it on my trip back home during which I memorized Zephaniah 3:17, a comforting verse that says:
The Lord your God is with you,Now that I have come to know the Bible as a wonderful source of hope, wisdom and encouragement, I have resolved to never again feel embarrassed of reading it in public. I will pore over it while waiting to be served in a bank, a supermarket or a barbershop. And I will also unashamedly read it while travelling in a car or an airplane. Not an unwise thing for you to do as well, my beloved reader!
He is mighty to save.
He will take great delight in you,
He will quiet you with His love,
He will rejoice over you with singing.
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NEW! NEW! NEW! If you missed my social media update two days ago, let me take this opportunity to inform you that I have produced a new hymn entitled "Lord of All Power". Just click on that link in blue to dive straight into the hymn.
