He was from a tiny country in East Africa—an immigrant, divorced long ago, with children he dearly loved. My friend Lynette and I slipped into Kintura's taxi cab at our hotel after the final session of the True Woman conference.
“Indianapolis Airport,” I said. He joked that he could take us to Chicago or even Cleveland instead. I looked at the meter and shook my head. “Indianapolis Airport,” I repeated.
Kintura saw our bright green conference bags and as he started to drive, he immediately asked a question. (Later, I surmised that other “True Women” had graced his taxi, and he was overcome with curiosity.) “What is this True conference?” Kintura said. “There are many ladies here.”
I explained the basic concepts, and he asked, “So, you believe then that the man is to lead and the woman is to obey, yes?”
“We believe in the biblical model of manhood and womanhood,” I said.
“Then you believe that a man and woman are not equals,” he said.
“Oh no,” I said. “The Bible teaches that men and women were created in the image of God, both with dignity and value, and we are equal in God’s sight—but we have different roles.” (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 5:22-33)
“So, a man and a woman are only half fulfilled until they get married,” Kintura said, “and then they are whole, correct?”
“No, that’s not right,” I said. “Otherwise, a man or woman who are not married could never be fulfilled. What we believe the Bible teaches is that a man or woman who trusts in Christ for salvation is complete in Him. But in the marriage relationship, a man and woman's roles are complementary. Women are supposed to encourage men to be masculine, godly leaders in their homes and society." (Mark 9:35; 10:42-45; Genesis 2:18; 1 Corinthians 14:34; 1 Timothy 2:12-3:7)
“Yes, yes,” he said. “Men and women fit together and are complete in marriage. I understand.” He took both hands off the steering wheel momentarily, meshing his fingers together.
To be honest, that scared me a bit, and I kept wishing that he wouldn’t turn around so many times, afraid that he might run into another car! I leaned forward so he wouldn’t need to turn so far. Lynette tightened her seat belt. We both prayed for safety.
As I asked Kintura questions about his own life, I found that he is of the Orthodox faith—something like the Coptics in Egypt—a believer who is seeking God for direction, happily serving the Lord as he teaches a class of young boys. He also would like a godly wife, which is why he was so intrigued by all of the True Women he saw.
“So many women try to dress and act like men,” he said. “They don’t know what it is to be feminine.”
“Yes, a woman needs to leave no doubt that she’s a woman,” I agreed. (1 Timothy 2:9-13)
“But so many women [in America], they don’t act like women," Kintura said. "They are leading men wrong. And I think this nation is not going well. I am afraid for this nation. It is becoming like other nations that did not follow what God says.”
Lynette and I agreed. I told the taxi driver that we True Women want to be part of the movement to change hearts and lives. True Women want to live holy lives that please God, follow God’s design for their womanhood, manage their homes, honor the sanctity of marriage, and reach and nurture the next generation. (Proverbs 31:10-31; Psalm 127:3; Proverbs 4:1-23; 22:6)
As we traveled to the airport, I asked Kintura if I could pray for him, and he welcomed that. As Lynette and I bowed our heads, we prayed that if it is God’s will (not knowing the circumstances of his divorce), God would lead him to a godly True Woman who embraces the beauty of her womanhood and desires God’s will and ways. We prayed for God to bless this man as he continues to seek the Lord and live for him.
When we parted, he thanked us for being women of faith ~ True Women ~ and he honored us with many kind words. Moments later, as Lynette and I turned to enter the airport, I said, “What a strange conversation, but wasn’t it wonderful?”
What gripped me most about my dialogue with Kintura was his deep concern for his adopted home, the United States. He envisions a nightmare in America’s future because he's watched other countries slip into depravity and ruin. He knows the signs--the consequences of ignoring the Sovereign God's words. I left the conference determined to live out the True Woman Manifesto, and Kintura gave me yet another reason why it’s so important. Our families, our country are at stake!
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