He visited our church months ago at the invitation of some neighbors. Afterward, he met me in the foyer calling himself a secular humanist atheist. He wanted to get to get together some time for a talk so we could better understand one another.
Life happened. I got busy. He also got busy. Months passed. He reached out and we worked through our schedules for an appointment. He came to the office and so began one of the most mind-bending conversations I have ever had. Questions upon questions. We discussed everything from Bible literalism to social hot button issues of the day. I will call my friend Brian, though that is not his name, to protect his anonymity.
He had tough questions about the character of God, the hypocrisy of Christians, the ineffectiveness of prayer, indoctrination of children, the lack of impact of the church on culture and so much more. That conversation lasted five hours and twenty minutes. It never got heated. We disagreed a lot. We had very little common ground except a mutual respect for one another. Neither of us swayed the other. I even told him that was not my job to persuade him. My job was to present the truth. It was God's job to do any persuading.
I asked him at one point, "What would it take to convince you?" His reply was interesting. He commented, "If God is real, He can reveal Himself to me. He can change my mind." He is right. His analytical mind questions everything. He is looking for evidence and empirical data. He is looking for facts. God is discovered through faith.
I had no idea we talked that long. We both enjoyed the debate. We did not agree, but our talk was never contentious. It was pleasant and passionate. It felt like we talked for an hour or two. Neither of us had any idea how much time had elapsed. Like two bulls in the pasture battling for supremacy, we locked mental horns and pushed back and forth for supremacy. Me trying to prove God and him trying to disprove the things I hold sacred. He was never disrespectful. He is skeptical of everything in the Christian faith from the authenticity of the Bible, the virgin birth, resurrection, end times prophecy, the rapture, heaven and hell. It proved challenging to debate with him when I kept referring to a book that he does not believe is the word of God.
When I got home, I felt exhilarated as well as exhausted. I could barely keep my eyes open after dinner. The mind-bending conversation stimulated me. Made me think a lot. I used brain cells I did not even know I had. Before Brian arrived, I prayed for God to help me have clear recall, be humble, and loving. I think God did that. That conversation also drained me. I slept soundly that night.
I think God is working on Brian. He told me he had not attended a worship service for two decades before coming to Spring Creek. He sat in my office for nearly five and a half hours. I believe a friendship was established. I told Brian before he left that I would pray for him. I also challenged him to read the Bible with the mindset for God to reveal Himself. He has read the Bible through twice several decades ago. That is more than can be said of most Christians. I think God is drawing him. I look forward to more conversations with him in the future. He is more than an atheist. He is my friend now.
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