Last week a friend of mine came into my office and gave me a copy of a newspaper touting the growth of atheism in our country and world. 20 millions Americans describe themselves as atheist or agnostic. This represents about 7.5% of our population.
Reading the articles (there were two) I realize that many of these people are just reacting to negative encounters with those who believe. Many in Europe are reacting to the Muslims who are destroying life in the name of their faith. Others are disturbed over the violence done by Christians to other Christians.
It is easy for those of us who believe to just get angry with them and tell them to “take a long hike up a short pier.” Why should we consider the 7.5% who do not believe? For those of us who are followers of Jesus the answer is simply, “Because Jesus died for them also.”
I wonder how these unbelievers would react to meeting a genuine Christian who lives out the character of Jesus. He is loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, gentle, and self-controlled (Galatians 5:22) This Christian listens with an open heart to the words, pain and questions of the unbeliever. He responds to our atheist friend not with platitudes and empty clichés but with a compassionate heart.
Befriending our atheist acquaintances and showing them the love, grace and joy of our Lord may just be what some of them are watching for. Human nature being what it is will deny or ignore that which has hurt or attacked it.
Love them, pray for them and watch for opportunities to display the character of the One we are following in front of them, we might just discover a new friend in the midst of his unbelief. The greatest thing our Lord has given us to help our wounded world is His love. Many can fight against our words. Many will respond to our anger with anger. But few are they who know how to handle the gracious love of our Savior!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
What did I say I meant?
What does it mean to communicate? Have you ever noticed that there are times that two people are on different wavelengths? We are saying words but the meaning is nowhere to be found.
Roger asked a woman named Elaine out to a movie. She accepted and they had a pretty good time. They continue to see each other regularly. One evening while they are driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine. Elaine says to Roger, "Do you realize we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"
Silence fills the car and to Elaine it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself, "Gee, I wonder if that bothers him that I said that? Maybe he feels confined by' our relationship. Maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some type of obligation." Roger is thinking, "Wow! Six months!"
Elaine continues thinking to herself, "Well, I'm not sure I want this kind of relationship either! Are we heading toward marriage.., toward children.., toward a lifetime together'? Am I ready for that kind of commitment? Do I even know this person'?
And Roger is thinking, "So that means February... that's when we started going out. That's right after I had the car at the dealers, which means.., let me check the odometer... whoa! I'm way overdue for an oil change!"
Elaine is thinking, "He's upset. I can see it in his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship: more intimacy, more commitment. Maybe he senses my reservations... Yes, that's it; he's afraid of being rejected."
Roger is thinking, ''I'm going to have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right.., and they better not try to tell me it's just the cold weather this time! It's 87 degrees outside and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.!"
Elaine is thinking, "He's angry and I don't blame him. I'd be angry too. I feel so guilty putting him through this, but I can't help it. I just can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure. Roger is thinking, "They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty... that's what they'll say!" Elaine is thinking, "Maybe I'm too idealistic, waiting on a knight to come riding on his white horse. I'm sitting next to a perfectly good person, who is in pain because of my self-centered, school-girl fantasy." Roger is thinking, "Warranty... I'll give them a warranty!"
"Roger", Elaine says aloud. "What?"', asks Roger. "I'm such a fool!" Elaine says, sobbing. "I know there is no knight and no horse!" "No horse?" Roger says. "You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine asks. "Oh, no." Roger says.
"Oh, it's just that I need some time, Roger" Elaine cries.
There is then about a 15 second pause, while Roger tries to come up with a safe response. "Yes" he finally says. Elaine, deeply moved, touches Roger's hand. "Oh, Roger, do you really' feel that way?" "What way?" asks Roger. "That way... about time" is Elaine's reply. "Oh," says Roger, "yes... yes."
Elaine gazes deeply into Roger's eyes, causing him to be very nervous about what she may say next... especially if' it's about a horse! At last Elaine says, "Thank you, Roger." "Oh, thank you!" Roger responds.
Roger then takes Elaine home and she lies on her bed, a conflicted soul, weeping until dawn. Whereas Roger gets back to his place, opens a bag of chips, turns on the TV and immediately gets involved in a rerun of F-Troop. A tiny voice tells him, in his mind, something really major was going on back in the car, but he feels it's best not to really think about it.
The next day, Elaine calls her closest friend and they talk for six straight hours, going into complete detail about her conversation with Roger, analyzing everything she said and everything he said. They continue to discuss the subject for weeks, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never really getting bored either.
Roger asked a woman named Elaine out to a movie. She accepted and they had a pretty good time. They continue to see each other regularly. One evening while they are driving home, a thought occurs to Elaine. Elaine says to Roger, "Do you realize we've been seeing each other for exactly six months?"
Silence fills the car and to Elaine it seems like a very loud silence. She thinks to herself, "Gee, I wonder if that bothers him that I said that? Maybe he feels confined by' our relationship. Maybe he thinks I'm trying to push him into some type of obligation." Roger is thinking, "Wow! Six months!"
Elaine continues thinking to herself, "Well, I'm not sure I want this kind of relationship either! Are we heading toward marriage.., toward children.., toward a lifetime together'? Am I ready for that kind of commitment? Do I even know this person'?
And Roger is thinking, "So that means February... that's when we started going out. That's right after I had the car at the dealers, which means.., let me check the odometer... whoa! I'm way overdue for an oil change!"
Elaine is thinking, "He's upset. I can see it in his face. Maybe I'm reading this completely wrong. Maybe he wants more from our relationship: more intimacy, more commitment. Maybe he senses my reservations... Yes, that's it; he's afraid of being rejected."
Roger is thinking, ''I'm going to have them look at the transmission again. I don't care what those morons say, it's still not shifting right.., and they better not try to tell me it's just the cold weather this time! It's 87 degrees outside and this thing is shifting like a garbage truck and I paid those incompetent thieves $600.!"
Elaine is thinking, "He's angry and I don't blame him. I'd be angry too. I feel so guilty putting him through this, but I can't help it. I just can't help the way I feel. I'm just not sure. Roger is thinking, "They'll probably say it's only a 90-day warranty... that's what they'll say!" Elaine is thinking, "Maybe I'm too idealistic, waiting on a knight to come riding on his white horse. I'm sitting next to a perfectly good person, who is in pain because of my self-centered, school-girl fantasy." Roger is thinking, "Warranty... I'll give them a warranty!"
"Roger", Elaine says aloud. "What?"', asks Roger. "I'm such a fool!" Elaine says, sobbing. "I know there is no knight and no horse!" "No horse?" Roger says. "You think I'm a fool, don't you?" Elaine asks. "Oh, no." Roger says.
"Oh, it's just that I need some time, Roger" Elaine cries.
There is then about a 15 second pause, while Roger tries to come up with a safe response. "Yes" he finally says. Elaine, deeply moved, touches Roger's hand. "Oh, Roger, do you really' feel that way?" "What way?" asks Roger. "That way... about time" is Elaine's reply. "Oh," says Roger, "yes... yes."
Elaine gazes deeply into Roger's eyes, causing him to be very nervous about what she may say next... especially if' it's about a horse! At last Elaine says, "Thank you, Roger." "Oh, thank you!" Roger responds.
Roger then takes Elaine home and she lies on her bed, a conflicted soul, weeping until dawn. Whereas Roger gets back to his place, opens a bag of chips, turns on the TV and immediately gets involved in a rerun of F-Troop. A tiny voice tells him, in his mind, something really major was going on back in the car, but he feels it's best not to really think about it.
The next day, Elaine calls her closest friend and they talk for six straight hours, going into complete detail about her conversation with Roger, analyzing everything she said and everything he said. They continue to discuss the subject for weeks, never reaching any definite conclusions, but never really getting bored either.
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