Q.  Boss.  I have a few questions about these Q&A's you've been sending...
A.  Ehe...

Q.  First of all are they real?  As in are they real conversations that really happened?
A. Yes they are...  Mostly text-conversations though... So they're very rarely face-to-face conversations.

But because most times different guys usually have similar questions, what I've ended up doing a lot is concatenating slices of conversation from here and from there that deal with the same subject matter and with a bit of artistic license, trying to make them flow into one congruous conversation that actually ends.

Q.  And how did you start off on all this?
A. Basically was questions from tutees and mentees in school...  And after a few years of the same questions in different words, I thought of just reducing them to writing for anyone else who'd be interested in those topics.

Q.  So you mentor guys?  You've never told me that!
A.  Ummm... Well I do...

Q. Do you also give like face-to-face talks?  As in if I invited you to speak on one of these Q&A topics to my youth group in Church, would you come?
A.  Definitely!

Q.  You would!?
A. Why not!  I find the conversations very entertaining in the least... And the questions really help me think about what it is exactly the Church teaches and how she has explained herself in these 2000 years in the face of questions like these...

Q.  But are your talks only on doctrinal issues?  Coz like right now I'm more interested in topics of character.
A. Obviously there are some topics I find more exciting to talk about than others.  Fortunately character is one of them...  Or manliness to be specific.  And for other topics, I have friends who are much better versed who I could call up to come speak to your youth group.

Q.  And where do you get all your answers from?
A. Well the majority of the questions to be honest have been recycled over the centuries.  It is terribly rare that a person today can come up with an argument against Christianity or any of her doctrines that has not already been voiced on one of the continents in the last 2000 years.  Whether it's questions on evolution or the papacy or the Sacraments or apparent misogyny or sex or purgatory or the person of Christ or what sin does to us really or how freedom and grace co-exist or the qualities of God...  And the great thing is that the Church always responds to these questions and confusion: sometimes with a simple letter by one believer to his querying friend, other times with a whole synod or meeting of bishops from around the world.

So the answers are from all these brothers and sisters in the Faith who have come before us or live with us: right from the Apostles like Paul and John, through Chrysostom and Augustine, to our contemporary apologists like John Lennox and Peter Kreeft.

Q.  So these are books you read or videos or...
A.  All...  Including podcasts and audios...  Though mostly books and articles been reading over the years...

And so you can say my answers are not original at all.  It's the same response the Church has been giving over her lifespan.  The packaging however most times is a tailored to suit a young guy in Nairobi today.

Q.  Ah...  So I guess you don't mind if I share them like on Whatsapp with my youth group or Bible Study group...
A.  Not at all!  Share!

Q.  And you have these books somewhere you can share?  Like if I'm interested in reading on a topic further...
A. Yes!  Begun a small library some time back, now open to the general public...  This year I'm doing a bit of fundraising with friends to really expand it...  But the books are there for all people of good will who'd like to borrow.

Q.  Do I have to pay?
A. (Smiles.)  Yes!  300/- per month.  Because unfortunately I have friends who borrow books and never return them so slowly some books are getting lost.  The monthly subscription allows me to replace them.

Q.  And the videos?
A.  YouTube is your friend.

Q.  And there was a time you had a blog...  what happened?
A.  It's still there...  www.rampage.co.ke

We had to bring it down some time back and begin re-loading the questions with a friend of mine who handles the technical side of the page...  So far I think we've only uploaded a bit less than half of the Q&As.


[To be continued...]

Great week!