Conversation with a Christian

A Conversation with a Christian
By Donn Lee

It was a hot day, and the last thing I wanted was a job that involved the outdoors. But I was put in charge of organising the cars on the parade square -- a last minute job thrown at me that they expected me to do and do well. Seeking some respite from the heat, I sought shelter under the roof of a covered walkway. On the covered walkway was set up a couple of tables and benches, one of which my friend was sitting on. I took a seat next to him.

In front of him was a most peculiar thing, at least in the Singaporean military context. That peculiar thing was a Bible. You don't see many of these things around camp, not even in private spaces, less still in public, where we were. Curious, I asked, rhetorically of course, if that was a Bible, after which he replied in the affirmative.

"You Catholic?"

"Christian. You?"

"Catholic," I replied. You might be wondering how we could be friends and not know each other's religion. I guess "friend" might be a little overstating our relationship, which might be more to do with work than anything personal. But nevertheless, I always thought he was a nice guy, and I presume he thought the same about me.

"You read the gospels?" he asked. I said I did, though I always thought "gospel" meant the Bible, and not, as I was to learn later, of the four separate accounts of Jesus' last days, each written by one of his disciples.

"You mean the gospel as in the Bible, right?" I said, pointing to that book in front of him.

"No, the gospels as in the four interpretations of Jesus' crucifixion and his subsequent resurrection."

"Oh, then, no. Not really anyway," I said, feeling a little embarrassed, "but I have read the Bible somewhat." I hadn't really read the Bible, other than a little bit of Adam and Eve, and a few other "books" in it. Most of my memory of Bible stories come in the form of cartoons and movies.

"Which books did you read?"

"Job," I said, "is the one I remember best. Had an impact on me."

"Job? Wow, that's one of the hardest to understand. What did you like about it? The way he was tormented and everything..."

At this point I got a little apprehensive, I didn't want him thinking I was that into religion, understanding something beyond what most people understand. I looked away and said, "something about not looking at a girl with lustful eyes. Something like that."

"You got issues with girls?" he asked, innocently enough, but it was a question I would rather he not have asked. It was also at this point that I felt really vulnerable, like I was on a psychiatrist's chair, being psychoanalyzed against my will.