John Gilbert

On Thursday evenings, I am attending a Bible and basketball group that meets in the gym with a leader from our church, John Gilbert. Each time, we go home with an interesting story. John, Rodney, and I take down some refreshments, share a lesson from the Bible, play basketball, and sometimes John even demonstrates some martial arts. There is anywhere from 10-15 boys that come.

During the basketball time, John leaves his car parked outside the gym, unlocked. He doesn't keep anything valuable in it, but sometimes the snacks. A couple of weeks ago, a young man notified John that one of the boys was in his car (presumably looking for something to steal). John checked the car out and nothing was missing. John asked which boy was in his car and started for his home. The mother of the boy answered the door and said her son wasn't there. So, John gave the mother a bag of cookies that was going to be that evening's snack. He told the mother that her son had been in her car and must have needed the cookies. The other boys looked on in disbelief.

As they were leaving the house, John asked the boys what they should do when someone slaps them in the face, and they replied, "Turn the other cheek."

John reminds me of one of the men in Donald Miller's book, "To Own a Dragon." He is a good father-figure to the young men in this community, and I am so privileged to be able to participate with him every Thursday.