It's a little harsh, but I don't 'invest' in strangers
'P' phoned me 3 times on Wednesday. The third time, he used his friend's phone and asked me to call him back on his phone... that he had ran out of credit on his pay as you go phone (if he was trying to impress this was not the way...).
In the course of the conversation, he claimed that he wants to marry me (mind I have never met the guy), and has already picked out schools for the kids. I laughed because I thought it's all a big joke. When the conversation started looking like it was serious (starts referring to me as his 'wife'), I suddenly found 'something important to do' that needed my immediate attention.
He reminded me that I'd agreed to meet on Sunday for a date. I thought it was just lunch. He insisted on calling it a 'date'. He reckons that after the fourth one he will go down on his knees and propose- which i will accept
I ask "How are you so sure I want to marry you?"
"When you meet me, you'll think 'Yeah this is the one!"
Okay, curiosity has got the better of me, so was looking forward to the lunch ('date' according to him)
We agreed on a time - 2.00 pm, but not a place because he didn't bring it up. You'd expect that the person who suggested the meet up would call before the appointed day to confirm a venue
Thursday - no call
Friday - nothing
Saturday - still nothing
I made other plans
Sunday at 2.30pm, he calls and leaves a message asking me to call him back. Is this guy having a laugh?
7.00pm, another phone call - I watched the phone ring but make no move to take the call. He didn't leave a message this time.
As I said, I don't invest in strangers
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Wednesday, December 09, 2009
Surreal...
So I got this really weird voice mail this morning,
“Kimuli, my flower, it’s me, give me a call when you get this message”
Hmm
The accent was male, Ugandan with undertones of an English accent – so someone who has lived here for a while. I scoured my mind trying to figure out who it could be. The only people who sound like that are the Kiwanuka brothers? But we keep in touch and if they were coming to London, I would have known. And anyway they wouldn’t call me ‘My Flower’ usually they call me ‘Little Flower’ or ‘Petit Fleur’.
Who could it be?
Nothing for it. Will just have to return the call and find out
“Hello, this is Kimuli”
“Heelloooooooooooooooo, my flower” like he was greeting an old friend.
“Who is this?”
“I got your number from your brother” Okay so he is my brother’s friend
“You wouldn’t even guess who this is.”
“Is this Denis… no wait… it can’t be Denis… Denis is in Kampala”
And he certainly doesn’t call me ‘My Flower’
I won’t bore you with all the details of the conversation. This guy who I will refer to as ‘P’ finally told me his name. Nope didn’t ring a bell.
He said he was very good friends with my brother. Apparently we met 15 years ago and he’d been quite taken with me but because I was his friend’s younger sister I was ‘off limits’
Clearly this is not an issue anymore because he asked my brother for my number – which the latter gladly gave with the vital information that I was still single.
He then went on to give me what Ugandans would call his ‘CV’
When he met my brother (while on holiday in Uganda – actually he gushed on and on about my brother which I thought was a bit much);
What he does for a living (runs his own company);
Where he lives (an empty 3 bed roomed house which he’d like to share with someone hint hint);
Do I have a ‘type’? What’s my type?
Oh my gosh you’ve got such a lovely voice, do you look as good as you sound? Would you like to go out for dinner… this weekend!??!!!
Whoaaaaa….this is going way too fast for me
I’m intrigued, so I’ve agreed to meet up for lunch this Sunday.
I hope he looks as good as he sounds
“Kimuli, my flower, it’s me, give me a call when you get this message”
Hmm
The accent was male, Ugandan with undertones of an English accent – so someone who has lived here for a while. I scoured my mind trying to figure out who it could be. The only people who sound like that are the Kiwanuka brothers? But we keep in touch and if they were coming to London, I would have known. And anyway they wouldn’t call me ‘My Flower’ usually they call me ‘Little Flower’ or ‘Petit Fleur’.
Who could it be?
Nothing for it. Will just have to return the call and find out
“Hello, this is Kimuli”
“Heelloooooooooooooooo, my flower” like he was greeting an old friend.
“Who is this?”
“I got your number from your brother” Okay so he is my brother’s friend
“You wouldn’t even guess who this is.”
“Is this Denis… no wait… it can’t be Denis… Denis is in Kampala”
And he certainly doesn’t call me ‘My Flower’
I won’t bore you with all the details of the conversation. This guy who I will refer to as ‘P’ finally told me his name. Nope didn’t ring a bell.
He said he was very good friends with my brother. Apparently we met 15 years ago and he’d been quite taken with me but because I was his friend’s younger sister I was ‘off limits’
Clearly this is not an issue anymore because he asked my brother for my number – which the latter gladly gave with the vital information that I was still single.
He then went on to give me what Ugandans would call his ‘CV’
When he met my brother (while on holiday in Uganda – actually he gushed on and on about my brother which I thought was a bit much);
What he does for a living (runs his own company);
Where he lives (an empty 3 bed roomed house which he’d like to share with someone hint hint);
Do I have a ‘type’? What’s my type?
Oh my gosh you’ve got such a lovely voice, do you look as good as you sound? Would you like to go out for dinner… this weekend!??!!!
Whoaaaaa….this is going way too fast for me
I’m intrigued, so I’ve agreed to meet up for lunch this Sunday.
I hope he looks as good as he sounds
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Homosexuality revisited
A close friend 'came out' to me this evening.
He'd probably been thinking all evening about how he'd introduce the subject and he said quite randomly:
He'd probably been thinking all evening about how he'd introduce the subject and he said quite randomly:
"I had a relationship. I was really into this person. It was a guy"
I was stunned - took a while to absorb the news.
Just yesterday at my bible study group we were discussing what our passions were- being an indicator of where God wants us to serve and use our gifts. I mentioned to them that 'Homosexuality', in particular 'homosexual Christians' is a subject that is close to my heart. It's one of the major issues dividing the Anglican church. St B's stance is that they accept that some people are born with homosexual orientation, but that they should not act upon it. Rather they should commit to living in celibacy for the rest of their lives. My opinion is "Bollocks!" If the church is acknowledging that homosexuality is natural, then why impose celibacy on them? Wouldn't that be going against their nature?
I likes absolutes. Black or white. I hate grey areas. My position on homosexuality used to be very clear to me, after all don't these verses from the Bible condemn homosexuality?
Romans 1: 26 - 27 (NIV)
"Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion"
Leviticus 18:22
“You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
Leviticus 20:13
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.”
Leviticus 20:13
“If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.”
But I've since been exposed to other teaching that has put this subject into the 'grey'. Leading homosexual Christian teachers claim that these Bible verses were taken out of context. That they were relevant for that time and that culture, but do not apply to modern day Christianity. Much in the same way that slavery was legitimate and accepted during biblical times- but unacceptable these days. The best reasoned case I've found is here
So maybe I should not condemn St B's for 'sitting on the fence', because that's where I am also. What I do know is this: - a lot of my gay brothers and sisters are being driven away from the church and from God because of the rejection, judging, despising and pity that they face from other church members
The church should be a place where people meet God, experience his love and as a result have their lives transformed. I do know of churches where the gay Christians are welcome and live fruitful, faith and Spirit filled lives. Clearly their 'homosexual orientation' does not keep them from forming a relationship with God. Through them, God has touched the lives of the wider gay community and brought them home.
And for me that's what's important. I should be focussing on ways to include people in the family of God - regardless of who they are or where they come from. All this other stuff, homosexuality, seems unimportant in the light of what really matters - God, his unconditional love for his creation and his desire to restore the broken relationship - if we will have him.
So maybe I should not condemn St B's for 'sitting on the fence', because that's where I am also. What I do know is this: - a lot of my gay brothers and sisters are being driven away from the church and from God because of the rejection, judging, despising and pity that they face from other church members
The church should be a place where people meet God, experience his love and as a result have their lives transformed. I do know of churches where the gay Christians are welcome and live fruitful, faith and Spirit filled lives. Clearly their 'homosexual orientation' does not keep them from forming a relationship with God. Through them, God has touched the lives of the wider gay community and brought them home.
And for me that's what's important. I should be focussing on ways to include people in the family of God - regardless of who they are or where they come from. All this other stuff, homosexuality, seems unimportant in the light of what really matters - God, his unconditional love for his creation and his desire to restore the broken relationship - if we will have him.
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