March 9, 2009

Church Experiment #10: Jehovah's Witnesses

I have three memories of Jehovah’s Witnesses.

One, I remember attending junior high school in Shreveport, Louisiana, and meeting a student named Ricky Jenkins. Ricky didn’t celebrate Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or his birthday. He told us it was because of his religion, which I later found out to be Jehovah’s Witness. As a sixth grader, it sounded like the worst religion ever.

Two, I was living in an apartment in Montgomery when I heard a knock on my door. For some reason, I had my shirt off. Don’t ask me to explain why, but I answered the door with my shirt off. (Imagine Lou Ferrigno on steroids. That was me in my early twenties.) Two women stood in front of me. One was around my age and the other was probably in her thirties. They were both very attractive. They gave me Jehovah’s Witness literature, and I apologized for having my shirt off. The older one said it wasn’t a big deal, but I felt awkward. I am 99 percent sure my sexiness caused them to leave the church. Damn this physique chiseled from granite. [Rolling my eyes.]

Three, I mentioned my church experiment in class in late February, and a student approached me after class to invite me to her Jehovah’s Witness church. Since I continually tried to follow God’s lead, it seemed like a good next stop.

Now, number four …

To finish reading about this experience or any of the reflections from my 52 visits, please purchase the full book here.