Doubting Thomas

Tonight my friend McKenzie and I went and hung out downtown and had a really interesting encounter with this African man. After walking around for an hour or so and finding this neat fountain and almost dying a few times on the poorly marked one-way streets, we found a nifty African store while hunting for Chinese food. Little did I know, this store would change my life. I'm walking around and there are a lot of really amazing tribal things and awesome things carved from wood - some really beautiful things. Anyway, as we were looking around, I noticed most of the things said "from Haiti" so I asked the man if he was from there. He told me he was from Cameroon and pulled out a map of Africa to show me. Then, he started pointing closer to Kampala (Uganda) and saying how all of the world came from there because of "Lucy" and all that jazz. Feeling compelled to talk to this man, I told him I believed people began with Adam and Eve, and he kind of flipped out telling me it was ridiculous to think everyone came from them, to which I replied, "I believe that because I know it from God and His Word." So then he thought I was telling him he didn't know God and started going on about how it was ignorant of me to think all other religions were wrong and that believing in things were similar to placebo effects because "if you believe you can fly, you can" because we don't believe in ourselves enough? or something... And every time McKenzie or I said anything to him he interrupted us and tried to contradict everything we said. It was really difficult, but I feel we explained ourselves and our beliefs well. It's really hard to convey what exactly happened, but it was intense. We were there for like an hour. He was nice and everything, I mean it's not like he was yelling at us or anything, but he was really determined to prove us wrong. So then I bought this gorgeous wooden mug/jar type thing that was hand painted in a polished green with a black flower and vines. I decided to get it as a reminder to visit him again and to pray for him.

Ironically enough, his name is Thomas.

Please find the humor in that ;)

anyway, we ended on a good note and just agreed that finding truth is key. Sigh.

I pray I'll meet him again. Perhaps one day he will come to know the Love and Joy I possess and cherish.