REAL
What do I say to a sceptic?
I am a natural born sceptic, too.
But from where I stand
there is far more evidence
to suggest that God does exists
than to suggest that God does not exist.
Evidence that I, personally, find most convincing
includes things like
the beauty
and intricacy of nature
(just look at the palm of your hand)
the birth of my son,
love,
pictures that move me,
simple human kindness.
All these things speak to me of Something More to life,
something that’s far bigger than me
and, thank goodness, always will be.
Why do I call
this ‘Something’ God?
Why treat it like a person?
Because when I read the Bible
and
get to know the characters there
and hear the stories of their lives
and the life
of their people
and the One they begin to call ‘God’ (in their language)
and when I
hear the words he speaks to them
and see the way they wrestle with him
and how he challenges
them
and the mad, crazy, upside down way he comes to them
in the life of someone just
like one of them
and turns their idea of religion upside down . . .
and loves them
and
sends his Spirit to live in them . . .
I know that I can relate to them.
I relate
to their their hopes and their fears,
their high points and their failures,
their doubts
and their desires
and I relate to the One they call God
because I recognise him
as
the One that’s been calling me for years
Would proof help?
No. Even if proof were possible what would it acheive?
To prove something you have
to master it.
Master God? No way.
Like pinning down a cloud, it makes no sense.
If you
did manage to master something,
sure as Hell it wouldn’t be God.
Most people know that
so they wouldn’t believe you
and nor would I.
So what makes me believe?
I took the risk of being wrong and discovered that I was right.
If you think there’s
someone walking beside you in the dark
you’ll only know for sure
by putting out a hand
or speaking to them.
God is real. As real as a person knocking at your door.
‘Here I am! I stand at the door and knock.
If anyone hears my voice and opens the
door,
I will come in and eat with him, and he with me’. (Revelation 3:20)
