Tuesday, September 22, 2009

From tedious adulthood to the faith of a child...

Lately, a blogger that I've just discovered & I have been having a discussion (he's young & fancies himself athiest, but even he says he's not quite sure). In a recent post he asks,

"Who is God, who made God? Can such a complex and all powerful being just come into creation? How was God made? Who decided God should be the Alpha and the Omega? Why not me? Please don't say God just is...Because I can easily say the universe just is & then we're back to square one..."

I like this new blog friend. He has an openness to conversation & a gentleness to his young spirit. But one can see the tedium with which he approaches the Almighty.

Then just today I was hearing all about my first grader's day at school. She is quite a talker, & one might think she's rambling-on until you stop to listen to what she's "rambling"...which is almost always something that makes good sense. (It's mentally exhausting sometimes, let me tell ya!)

So it went like this,

her: "...learned about the solar system...the line that goes around the earth...God gave us all the languages so we can talk to each other...we live above the equator...God gave us all the names so we can name our children something different...days to get around the sun..." and then...

her: "I've always wondered why God doesn't have a wife."

(Do you see why I always have to be listening?)

me: "Baby, God doesn't have a wife, because God isn't human. God is God."

her: "God has to be part boy & part girl, because boys talk to God about boy stuff & girls talk to God about girl stuff."

me: "Very wise & observant thing to say. A lot of adults don't even understand that about God, baby. Good thinking..."

It was so simple to her. No worry about the origin of God, the gender of God, sexism superimposed on images of God, etc., etc. To my precious 6 year old daughter, God just is. And you know what? She's right.

And this new blog friend? He would be right too...so is the universe.

~~~

"I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Mark 10:15

~~~

6 comments:

BetteJo said...

One could say there is proof of God in all the miracles around us every day. But then there will always be the argument about where those things "really" came from.

It's so hard to explain faith, to someone who doesn't have it.

Anonymous said...

First of all, the term "atheist" means "without God". If this guy "isn't sure", that's called agnosticism. Nobody seems to have trouble when Homer Simpson says "It was like that when I got here", but with God, the Guy who actually *was* here when we all got here ... the naysayers have a problem. I don't buy into that foolishness. There *are* some (actually many) absolutes in the universe. Not everything can be graylined as some would like.

Joe said...

I'd have him read the Roman Road one verse at a time and ask about each verse, "What does that mean to you?"

That is usually non-threatening, because there are no wrong answers (since you asked him what they mean to HIM)

The Word of God is powerfule and sharper than any two edged sword.

If he still proclaims atheism after that, it is only a matter of time before the Holy Spirit will begin to reach him if he is reachable.

Anonymous said...

An atheist is only one life crisis away from faith. It a short, painful yet fruitful journey. Such is the mystery of God.

Susannah said...

BetteJo~ "It's so hard to explain faith, to someone who doesn't have it." You're so right. Don't you think we all long for it, regardless? I do.

RWL~ "There *are* some (actually many) absolutes in the universe." Indeed! Just ask any Math Professor! And WHOSE math do we think it is...? ;)

Joe~ Romans...very good suggestion. I would do well to read that again myself! Thank you.

"The Word of God is powerful and sharper than any two edged sword." And it is the living, breathing Word of God. Holy Spirit, indeed.

Nickie~ "It a short, painful yet fruitful journey." It can be, can't it?

"Such is the mystery of God." I'm so glad you said this. God IS a mystery! We're not supposed to have the capacity for understanding His ways, b/c they're not like ours. But capacity for relationship with God? Absolutely! It's what we're here for. wow.

Thanks for the comments, all. You've encouraged me!

Sandy said...

Someone sent this to me today and I immediately thought of your post. Check it out when you get a chance!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldHF6PFUukw