Abednego
An African in America
“Where are you from?” I asked
“Kenya.” he said with a smile.
Looking at my phone at his drivers information on the Lyft app I was not sure how to say his name.
“How do you pronounce your name?”
“Abednego”, he said a few times as I kept asking. He smiled as I tried to pronounce it.
“It is from the Bible.” He said proudly. “From the Book of Daniel.”
I know the book of Daniel. On my last long cycling trip from Kansas to Yorktown, VA, I was on a spiritual pilgrimage of sorts. The year before I left I had many signs from God, that somehow the Book of Daniel was and is going to be a part of my life.
A woman, a writer and a security guard, and very strong Christian, who I befriended, always called me ‘Daniel” and does to this day. The name Daniel started to pop up in other places, leading me to learn the story of Daniel, never having been a person to conform to someone else's way of life, as I have always gone my own way and discerned what was right and wrong and stand up to the powers that be, I felt a kinship with the Book.
Even on the eve of my journey, I was invited to the home of a very special Christian friend and her family. I only knew her from a one time meeting in a coffee shop where she felt the call to witness her relationship to Christ to me, even ending the chat with prayer. We, over years, stayed in touch, mostly through FB and she would periodically comment about my experiences helping out the homeless. The night before I left I rode my bike to her place and met her husband and three children. During dinner we talked and I came to find out the children went to a faith-based school grounded on the Book of Daniel. What are the odds?
Abednego and I only spent 30 minutes together before he dropped me off at work. The conversation was good, I asked him what tribe he was originally from. He said the Kisii.
When I was in Military School, ages 13-17, I studied books on Africa and particularly, Kenya. I had a friend at the school who lived on a Coffee plantation in Kenya, and he would tell me stories, and I read books on the African explorers and the great white hunters, different tribes, wildlife, and the ecology.
Abednego, has a wife and two children back in Africa he is supporting. I did not ask anymore about his personally life. He says he loves it here in KC. We talked about immigration, he even said any place you go that is not your original home you should respect the culture and fit in the best you can. Sound advice.
He also shared that most people just want a very simple life: food, shelter, warmth, clothing, a decent job and good health and if there are children, education. He shared that he would like to have more children and be a good father, and his faith is very important. A simple man. Simple wants.
Back to the Book of Daniel, have you read it? Here is a good summary.
On all my travels I met people like Abednego. I was fortunate to have a father who opened doors to people of all walks of life and having gone to boarding schools for High School, I lived with people from Africa, Jordan, China, South America, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and probably more countries but do not remember. I have also friends I have met on the travels from all over the world. We are all the same. It is just the way it is. Most people are good. God loves us all.
Abednego, dropped me off at work. I will most likely never see him again. He reminded me of my Faith, the goodness of humanity, and even at 36, he gave me faith in the future of humanity.