I
haven’t done this in a long time. For one
thing, no one was reading them, so no one was missing them, but mostly because
I just didn’t feel moved to say anything.
But I am moved to continue now and then to work on them, so I am going
forward, assuming that someday these things are going to be of use to someone.
I
thought about writing one after I saw Heaven Is For Real. As a movie, I suppose it was okay, but I couldn’t
really watch it, because I was distracted by the attitudes of some of Greg
Kinnear’s parishioners. Maybe this was
just added for plot twist, but I was bothered by how much they were bothered by
the idea of someone saying Heaven is for real.
And by the newspaper giving credit for the boy’s recovery to a prayer
circle. If they didn’t think the prayer
circle was going to work, why have a prayer circle? And if they did think it was going to work,
why not give credit where credit is due?
What kind of witnessing is that?
Hiding your light under a basket, that’s what that is. But I suppose there are people professing to
be Christians and sitting in pews every Sunday and not really believing that
the things they are saying they believe will come to fruition. I don’t get it, but I suppose it
happens. And I didn’t have enough to say
about it to create a post.
And
maybe I don’t have enough to say this time either. But lately, I have been running into a lot of
non-believers, and I have been having a hard time figuring out how to deal with
them.
I know that there is a very small chance that
anything I say could change their minds, but I also feel that I must say
something. We are supposed to bring as
many people with us as we can, and it would be wrong not to try.
And I also know that someone who has decided not
to believe will use whatever they can as a reason to do so. Or not do so.
And I know that anything I say to them will only sound foolish in their
minds. But I still feel that I should
try.
On the other hand, it feels almost like walking
into a trap. I don’t want to debate
specifics with someone who doesn’t believe the whole. They want to talk about the pieces when they
don’t understand how the pieces fit together.
And since they don’t understand it, any answer you give is
dismissed. And I am getting tired of
being attacked by people who don’t understand what they are attacking.
Generally, I just feel sorry for people who
can’t open their minds or their hearts or step away from their calculated logic
long enough to experience the true joy and wonder of God and Christ.
And I try to remember that most people who are
hostile towards Christians feel that way for a reason. They have history with people who didn’t
understand or misrepresented the word and try to impose difficult beliefs upon
them. And I am sorry for that.
In
one of his sermons, Joel Osteen said “You are the Lord’s Personal
Representative”. Personal
Representative. That’s important. I don’t just represent a faith, I represent
Him. If that weren’t such a long phrase,
I would write it on my hand, so I would see it and remember it whenever I am
about to open my mouth and be rude. You
can’t be rude, you are the Lord’s Personal Representative. What will this person think of the Lord if
you are tacky?
So before these non-believers all I can think to
do is Represent. Be strong, be kind, be
reasonable. Listen, nod and present my
point of view. And walk away. Represent by example. At least that’s what I think I should try to
do. I try to remember that we have been
promised that the Holy Spirit will supply the words when we don’t know what to
say.
And I try to remember when someone asks those
What If and Why Does He questions, whether they just don’t understand or they
are trying to trip me up, that Jesus said we were not to put God to the
test. That may not be the answer they
are looking for, but it will have to do for now.
For once
you were darkness, but now in the Lord you are light. Ephesians 5:8
