For a number of conversations that I have happen to find myself in with others, I listen to the agnostic and the atheist express why they do not believe there is a God. I really have no reason to try to convince the otherwise because I know it is not really the heart of the matter.
Rather as I listen to them talk we begin to build a relationship. These folk have someone who is a Christian who is really trying to listen to them and understand where they are coming from. I am not alone in my efforts, may Christians around the world attempt to listen with the heart of Christ to those who do not affirm the reality of a God. I pray that we would all work to become better listeners to one another.
Over the course of the conversation, it became clear that a couple of my new friends were trapped in thinking that God is something or somewhere else. That is to say they are convinced that to believe in God means to affirm the reality that there is another separate "thing" out there somewhere that is totally other than their lived experienced.
Too often my Christian friends try to convince others of this sort of understanding of God. And we all can guess as to how many times it has "worked" to convince people. So instead of trying to convince others there is a God through debate or arguments or logic or theology, might I suggest an alternative.
I have a friend, Sarah, who is blind. Sarah was not born blind but became blind due to an issue with her eyes. As she learned to work with her blindness she told me that for her there is no way to tell if a person is standing in front of her unless that person responds.
Might I submit that there there is no way to tell God exists without a response. If you affirm the reality of God, then we must be the response. God is calling the world to be peaceful and just and without a response then it is impossible to "confirm" that there is ever a call to begin with. If we hope to help this world move toward that "peaceable kingdom" then we must first be the ones who are responding to the call of God.
When we respond then others will see there is something more in our lives that is moving us forward. Without a response, it is difficult to "prove" God exists.
Rather as I listen to them talk we begin to build a relationship. These folk have someone who is a Christian who is really trying to listen to them and understand where they are coming from. I am not alone in my efforts, may Christians around the world attempt to listen with the heart of Christ to those who do not affirm the reality of a God. I pray that we would all work to become better listeners to one another.
Too often my Christian friends try to convince others of this sort of understanding of God. And we all can guess as to how many times it has "worked" to convince people. So instead of trying to convince others there is a God through debate or arguments or logic or theology, might I suggest an alternative.
I have a friend, Sarah, who is blind. Sarah was not born blind but became blind due to an issue with her eyes. As she learned to work with her blindness she told me that for her there is no way to tell if a person is standing in front of her unless that person responds.
Might I submit that there there is no way to tell God exists without a response. If you affirm the reality of God, then we must be the response. God is calling the world to be peaceful and just and without a response then it is impossible to "confirm" that there is ever a call to begin with. If we hope to help this world move toward that "peaceable kingdom" then we must first be the ones who are responding to the call of God.
When we respond then others will see there is something more in our lives that is moving us forward. Without a response, it is difficult to "prove" God exists.