A minor

Meeting Dr. Ollie Jackson

One of the benefits of working at Kinko's is that I get to meet a lot of interesting people. And, in a place like Monroe where there are lots of Christians, that means a lot of interesting church people. This week, a very nice man came in to get a couple copies of a one-page photo/bio. The photo was of three black men in navy & red academic robes, and the bio described a man who taught Hebrew, had lived in Israel for years, and studied at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. I asked the gentlemen is it was his bio - if he had studied at Hebrew University - and he said, "Yes, I lived and studied in Israel for many years. I first went there when I was 24." The man has a long gray beard now. "I've been back for 17 years now, but I still can't get Israel out of my system. There's something about it...."

He went on to tell me that he was from Chicago, but that his parents had been from Monroe; that he teaches at the local United Theological Seminary and Bible College (which, though it's small, unaccredited, and has no website, has been serving predominantly black Baptists for over 50 years); that he teaches both biblical and modern Hebrew in a variety of forums throughout the community, most recently a lecture at the parish public library. He seemed pleased to find someone who shared his interests, and we exchanged cards so we could get together sometime in the future. His card reads:

Holy Land Ministries
Dr. Ollie W. Jackson
Hebrew Language & Bible Instructor
25 Years Israel Living Experience
address, phone number, etc.