Fridays, writing , and coffee all fit together nicely for me. Fridays are set aside for my final notes and preparation for my weekend message, while coffee makes me look alert and intelligent (I guess). And there's no better place for me to gather my thoughts than at the local Caribou miles from my home. And positioned next to my table this morning are two men, openly discussing their religious understanding or opinions on Christmas. Within ten minutes, they had both basically covered the entire Old and New Testament. I was impressed. One man arguing for the validity of the scriptures, while the other man questioning them. And from out of this conversation came the words that truly impacted me. The man in doubt said, "I think that the true atheists are the Christians who hide in the church and deny their God by not serving the poor. Their faith has no validity." When I heard this statement, I quickly hit my return bar several times to clear some free space on my Word document. I had to record the power behind his words. And the response from his believing friend? Nothing. It was like watching a great chess match. Check mate. And of course, the subject quickly changed to sports when both men lost their will to battle any longer.
I must confess that from time to time I wanted to engage myself in their conversation or chess match. Sure, I might have moved the pawn or knight to a more strategic place. However, I must confess that I would have had 'no' answer or maneuver to his atheism statement. It was spot on. In fact, in a surprising way, it is one of the most accurate descriptions that I have heard to define true atheism. Maybe the problem is not the non-believer. Maybe the problem is the believer - in hiding.
Something to think about today.
Maybe...nothing more than a big wake up call.
Let's live it OUT LOUD.
