Here's the Big Issueहियर'स थे Issue

Here's the Big Issue for a friend who is an atheist. For him his team are the only sane ones on the planet. Humanity's only hope is to denounce their religions and embrace science which is truth. Atheism offers objective reality.

The only problem with this worldview is that it could be wrong. There have been too many articulate, well read, thoughtful and humble people that believe differently to dismiss God at the testimony of a man who reads and loves all the Richard Dawkins has written. He has yet to read any CS Lewis, Tim Keller, John Piper or George MacDonald.

Just supppose there was a God who was above time, the universe and everything. Just suppose he did speak the world into existence, don't worry about the how, remember He works beyond anything you know. How would he best communicate. A book would seem a sure way of getting the record straight. Now there's always the appear before your people option, but then if you are a God of Love who has created people to reflect your Love with all their heart, soul and strenth, then bullying or bribing them really wouldn't be love, would it?

Have you ever gone into a popular bar in town, approached someone you really like the look of and being stronger, and with the element of surprise on your side, taken the person outside, forced them into your car and taken them back to your place? Have you then taken them into your home and invited them to share in the domestic duties, spent time in conversation, watched your favourite movie together and then got naked and made mad passionate love? Did they stay the night, wake up with you the next morning, share your breakfast then kiss you goodbye, told you that they loved you and promised to have a bath run and a candlelit dinner ready for you when you got home from a hard day in the office? Do you honestly think that love was sincere?

If that seems to you far fetched consider, that's just what my atheist friend wants from God. Not satisified with the wealth of evidence presented in creation, not impressed by the historical, circumstantial and annecdotal evidence of Jesus Christ's life and the personal witness of those first Christians and millions since, he want God to personally pay him a visit drag him from his metaphorical popular bar, then he'll believe in him. Belief is not enough, God wants a relationship, he's a father (Abba), he loves his children.

However, there's the paradox because if your don't know the source of love you cannot, it's just not possible, to truly Love. You think you love, but that's a construct of love from your mind developed through the prism of what the world has taught you. You can sense and see love, have an idea of what it is but to actually know love, to be motivated by true love takes a miracle, a miracle you have to ask for. Adam is being offered a miracle but he can't really be bothered. God is relentlessly pursuing him, just as he is relentlessly pursuing you but you want more evidence, God doesn't quite fit your view of what you want so for now........