King James What?

Last night I escaped the house after dinner and hit up Books-A-Million to spend the gift card that was re-gifted back to me for Christmas. You did read that correctly, I gave my mom a gift card for watching the boys and she sure enough gave it to me for Christmas. I went to check the amount but the website or number wasn't listed so I just called to ask her directly. She said, it was worth twenty-five dollars and then it hit me as we talked, this was the exact card I gave her, so I point blank asked her and she admitted to re-gifting it. I need to teach her how to re-gift properly. So, I am at Books-A-Million and I am looking in the "Inspiration" section looking for the Max Lucado books because I find his books interesting. So, I am looking through the books and notice an elderly guy behind me looking at Bibles. Thinking this was my time to talk to someone I asked if he was looking for a new bible and if he was did I know the one for him! I just got my dad a Bible that incorporates history with it, if this guy was a history buff, I had my speech ready! But he told me he was looking for something other than a King James Version. I volunteered that I have an easier time with the NIV and I use the NIrV in my classroom. We started chatting and I found out he lives in Locust Grove, is currently between his home and staying with his three kids, one in Georgetown and two in South Carolina. I also learn that he has battled and won the battle over colon cancer and is currently fighting liver cancer. I ask him where he goes to church, you'll never guess, he goes to my church. We talk about how great our pastor is and how he isn't afraid to tell it like it is and how much the church has grown and what a wonderful place it is to be. I tell him my kids go to school there, but don't volunteer the information that I work there, that gets a little too personal. We get back to the KJV conversation where he tells me that he has read some place years ago that the KJV isn't correct and he wants the "other version that I think starts with a c" to compare the two versions. Which stumps me. In a weird way. I suddenly want to flee the aisle because I become painfully aware I am about to enter a conversation I can't hold my ground in, what do I know about the various versions of the bible? I do say, that I find it odd that the KJV could be that inaccurate considering it is the most used version and a lot of people say it is the only "true" version, which the Word is the Word no matter which version, God promises his Word won't die-in all versions. He then questions if God will be disappointed with his choices all these years because he grew up with the KJV but has felt all his life that it wasn't "right"-to which the only thing I can say is-I don't think God punishes us for trying to worship with Him and to learn the Word, even if it is the wrong version, even if we missed some stuff, it is our relationship with God that matters not if we lived perfectly, no one can live perfectly. He tells me that he read in that elusive reading that King James didn't like the way the translations made him look so he fired the first round of translators after they refused to change it to make him look better and hired a new crew to write it to make him look good. I am dumbfounded, he found the corner I can't get myself out of, I just say, where did you read this? Was it a creditable source? He says he can't remember it was in a newspaper or magazine. I just smile and say, you can't always trust everything you read in the paper. He nods politely, I continue to help him look suggest that he ask the reference desk for help. I then ask him his name and tell him I will pray for him and his liver cancer, his family, and his travels. I then dismiss myself back to the Max Lucado section feeling very strange. I get out to the car and think, what just happened. Here I was talking to a guy that I thought maybe needed me in some way because I felt that nudge and I ended up feeling odd and highly uneducated in the ways of the Bible or how the versions came about. But I just ended up with this, I did say that our God was a very forgiving God at some point in that conversation and I did say it didn't matter how perfect we got it, just that we listen and obey God and maybe that is what he needed to hear even though I felt odd, very odd about the whole conversation. Tonight, I took a few minutes to Google the different versions of the Bible and I have concluded he must be looking for the Greek version, bless his heart if he is going to try to read the Bible in Greek or Latin, for me, I am willing to take the gamble. I do find it ironic that the pastor he enjoys the most, in fact he said, "He is the best pastor I have run across in years" uses the KJV to preach and study out of each week, studies it daily, and has it with him on the podium each Sunday.

In case you are wondering, I ended up buying Facing Your Giants by Max Lucado and a much wanted book light. The book light doesn't work, I have to take it back, I am hoping I won't run into that guy again.