Many people are friendly and hospitable
by Michael Hume

 

I was born in Bangladesh, and lived there till I was seventeen years old. It was an ideal childhood of sports, adventure, and friendships.

My mother’s family were mainly Buddhist and my grandmother was a Hindu. Most of my friends were Muslims, and the country mainly Muslim.  I also had Jewish friends. I was taught at school by American brothers who were Christians, and my mother was a Catholic. All the world’s main religions were covered in my social circle.

 

My grandmother was most welcoming and generous to let me read as many of her books from her shelves. She was well read herself. My Buddhist relatives on my mother’s side were always most hospitable, friendly and trustworthy.

 

My Muslim friends were among the best I’ve had in life. There are like brothers, trustworthy, selfless and friends for life. We had a lot of fun playing marbles, and indoor games. We formed a cricket team. They are such original characters.

 

My Jewish friends were always friendly and warm. I learnt to ride on my friend’s bike on the dusty roads of Dhaka. It was red and white, with wide tyres and a back-pedaling brake.

 

As for me I went to a Catholic church and followed its ways off and on. Mainly off. My father said he was an Anglican and believed in a Supreme being and he loved nature and sports. My mother was a Catholic which is why I went to that church. She was a regular churchgoer. My father would play golf every Sunday, and often my brother and I would join him.

 

At age 10 or so, my parents were already divorced, and I was a determined, independent young man. One day I was walking alone around a pond and encountered Jesus in a vision, except I did not know then that it was Him, nor did I know then how to reach Him. I said in my heart, “I must find this Friend.” Someone must have been praying for me then for me to have the encounter. It could have been my ayah (nanny) since she was a humble Godly Christian.

 

My father brought me up to respect people of all religious backgrounds, and I still think his advice holds. After all, respect is a form of love, and not hate, and therefore it must be from God. Jesus mixed with non Jews, Samaritans in particular feature in his interactions, and he commended a specific Samaritan.

 

At age 17 my brother and I moved to England to live with our mother. I tried Buddhism myself at about age 20. At 22 I joined the British army and served six years. Then I went to university in Norwich. In my last academic year I met an American who told me about having a daily personal relationship with Jesus. That was a first.Till then I did not know you could have a day by day personal relationship with God through Jesus and that Jesus would be active in my life now.

 

I felt she was sincere, and she talked me through a prayer which went something like this. "Dear Heavenly Father, I am truly sorry for all my sins. I believe Jesus died on a cross in my place to take away all my sins and I now accept Him as my Lord and Saviour. Please come into my life."

 

In the next few days I noticed a change. Jesus and God became real to me. I bought a Bible with my friend's help, and began reading from Matthew to Revelation, then back to Matthew and repeated the sequence. It all seemed so real and meaningful to me. I was really eating up the words with great hunger.

 

Jesus is very real to me in the present. The path of faith is an adventure combining rocky paths and oases, some encounters with God, and mostly a long slog of Bible reading and prayer, which is the joyful part of the faith trail.

 

The Holy Spirit taught me how to fast and pray, and God speaks to me often through the Bible, which I have been reading every day for over thirty years. When I pray I tend to pray out loud in private mostly, and in my own words which the Holy Spirit will give me at the time. God has answered many of my prayers, and I have encountered Him quite a few times. He has taught me how to live and about Himself mainly through the Bible.

 

Trials, though unpleasant give me character and I can identify with others who are going through trials. God is faithful and encourages me at the first possible opportunity. He always provides me with what I need.

 

I have absolute faith and trust in the living God and long for His company all the time, When I began the faith journey I only wanted God’s company some of the time. I believe the best path for my life is the one God leads me on. I seek His direction in my life always.

 

When I read the Bible God speaks to me, and clears me of hidden bad things. It is God’s word and the way God builds us up and helps us become holy like Jesus was holy and mature. When you read the Bible you are hearing directly from God Himself. Follow Christ.



Michael Hume. The Holy Spirit teaches you everything.  Copyright belongs to author.

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