The “human library” concept was a new idea for me.
I’d never heard of it until I was contacted by Multicultural Nelson Tasman, asking whether I would be interested in being a part of a human library during the Multicultural Festival.
So I decided to search up what a human library is, and discovered that it's something that has gone on internationally since 2000, where they take people – human beings – and ask them to tell their story as if they were a book. People can read a short synopsis about each book and, if they’re interested, “borrow” it by taking a seat with the person.
They were interested in having somebody from a different culture who was a priest or a church leader, with something quite diverse to bring into the context. So I was invited to be one of the books and share something of myself, my life and my journey.
When I had to write my short bio, I talked about coming from Kenya 15 years ago, I talked about my interests – like watching soccer and making chapatis – and I talked about my vocation as a priest in the Anglican Church.
So, just like in a library, people would come and “borrow” a book, one at a time, by sitting down with us.
Some people had come prepared with questions that they wanted to ask as a result of what was on the bio, and others were just curious and wanted to know various things about me.
Sometimes the book ended up asking questions, too.
One one of the people that I spoke to had no reference to church at all – yet in the process of our conversation they remembered that they were baptised as a child. They told me they would talk to their mother and ask her what it was all about. They remembered they still had the clothes from their baptism, and then they said they’d like their child to wear them, as a reminder.
And then they wanted to know about my own journey and why I chose to become a Christian. We had a long conversation about Christianity. Then we talked about their own spirituality. They said they didn't really carry a spirituality at first, but we got to a place where they realised they were spiritual, but did not know how to articulate it. They were very interested in the hope that I have in my Christian spirituality.
It was such an amazing conversation that just went deeper and deeper, until they were interrupted by a phone call.
It seemed like an important time in their life as they discerned their spirituality, and for me it felt like a very sacred conversation to have.
Another conversation I had was with someone who was quite religious and spiritual. They were really interested in asking questions about my Christian faith and priesthood.
Through that conversation, they ended up having memories of their grandfather, who was also an Anglican minister. It was so interesting.
I would love to do it again.
It’s a great way to connect with the wider community and be part of what's going on in the city, but also an opportunity to be good news to the world.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
We have invited these writers to share their experiences, ideas and opinions in the hope that these will provoke thought, challenge you to go deeper and inspire you to put your faith into action. These articles should not be taken as the official view of the Nelson Diocese on any particular matter.
The “human library” concept was a new idea for me.
I’d never heard of it until I was contacted by Multicultural Nelson Tasman, asking whether I would be interested in being a part of a human library during the Multicultural Festival.
So I decided to search up what a human library is, and discovered that it's something that has gone on internationally since 2000, where they take people – human beings – and ask them to tell their story as if they were a book. People can read a short synopsis about each book and, if they’re interested, “borrow” it by taking a seat with the person.
They were interested in having somebody from a different culture who was a priest or a church leader, with something quite diverse to bring into the context. So I was invited to be one of the books and share something of myself, my life and my journey.
When I had to write my short bio, I talked about coming from Kenya 15 years ago, I talked about my interests – like watching soccer and making chapatis – and I talked about my vocation as a priest in the Anglican Church.
So, just like in a library, people would come and “borrow” a book, one at a time, by sitting down with us.
Some people had come prepared with questions that they wanted to ask as a result of what was on the bio, and others were just curious and wanted to know various things about me.
Sometimes the book ended up asking questions, too.
One one of the people that I spoke to had no reference to church at all – yet in the process of our conversation they remembered that they were baptised as a child. They told me they would talk to their mother and ask her what it was all about. They remembered they still had the clothes from their baptism, and then they said they’d like their child to wear them, as a reminder.
And then they wanted to know about my own journey and why I chose to become a Christian. We had a long conversation about Christianity. Then we talked about their own spirituality. They said they didn't really carry a spirituality at first, but we got to a place where they realised they were spiritual, but did not know how to articulate it. They were very interested in the hope that I have in my Christian spirituality.
It was such an amazing conversation that just went deeper and deeper, until they were interrupted by a phone call.
It seemed like an important time in their life as they discerned their spirituality, and for me it felt like a very sacred conversation to have.
Another conversation I had was with someone who was quite religious and spiritual. They were really interested in asking questions about my Christian faith and priesthood.
Through that conversation, they ended up having memories of their grandfather, who was also an Anglican minister. It was so interesting.
I would love to do it again.
It’s a great way to connect with the wider community and be part of what's going on in the city, but also an opportunity to be good news to the world.
Check out other articles in the
series below.
More articles in the
series are to come.
