Be Strong, Be Kind, Be Reasonable

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