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December 28, 2007

I (nearly) get a wife

I was offered a wife this week.

One of my older Fulani friends had been concerned for some time that I don’t yet have a wife… especially given how old I am. He really wanted to help me, because I have apparently been so kind to him in the past. But he knew that I only want to marry a Christian. He has obviously given a lot of thought to this, and he said he sees that the way of Jesus is good.

So he came up with – to his mind, at least – the obvious solution: he offered to give his daughter to follow the way of Jesus, and to give her to me to marry.

A kind thought, but one I have had to – with agonising attempts at culturally-sensitive appreciation, combined with culturally-inappropriate directness – decline.

Nevertheless, it was an opportunity also to talk again about the way of Jesus, and to challenge him that, if the way of Jesus is as good as he sees, he should give himself to follow too.

Posted by Keith at December 28, 2007 08:13 PM