I wonder: do I lack courage or intellectual honesty?
It’s a question I asked myself after seeing this meme on an internet atheism community.
I can say for certain that there are all kinds of important questions that I can’t answer and, I suspect, no one else can, either. Questions about stuff in the Bible, for example. Or questions about why our world is shot through with disease, violence and inequality.
But if you remember where I found this piece of internet art, you can probably guess – as I did – that whoever created it doesn’t think “God” is an explanation for anything.
If your whole being is trusting in science, then maybe you hope it will eventually figure out everything. And we’ll be left with no creator.
I follow Jesus of Nazareth (who many people believe is the Son of God) and so that’s not my hope. In fact, I know it will never happen.
Let’s get one thing straight, however. I like science. I like it a lot, primarily because it’s one of the ways God shows us how He works. I have lots of moments where I’ll read about discovery in physics or astronomy and think “Ah, that’s how God did it. Cool!”.
That said, science will never answer the most basic of all questions: Why are we here? What happens to us when we die? And I’m fine with that.
These unanswered questions are important because they remind me that even after all I can find out about God from ancient texts and writers, I still know that He is a mystery. To put it another way, God is God. And I am NOT.
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.”
That’s from an ancient, God-inspired writer and it makes sense to me.
So how do you hear God’s voice? One way is to read original-source documents about the life of Jesus and, when you encounter something you don’t understand (and trust me, you will), ask a knowledgeable Jesus follower. Or ask me (I’m no expert, but I can give it my best shot or direct you to where you can get a credible answer). Or visit a website like the Christian Apologetics & Research Ministry (http://carm.org/) and ask your question(s).
You can also start attending church. That’s where you’ll meet pastors and Jesus followers who will help you hear God’s voice.
Finally, you can pray. Prayer is a mystery (I wrote about that mystery here: http://wp.me/p2wzRb-9a), but it’s definitely worth doing, if for no other reason than Jesus, during his physical time on earth, prayed all the time.
Does all this make sense? Post your thoughts below and let’s have a conversation.
Frank's Cottage 