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Today, during worship, my wife handed me her phone. She had received a text from an old friend from high school. Her friend was clearly exasperated, frustrated, and searching. “In light of everything going on…do you still believe in God?” What a question! Simple. Blunt. Receiving that question in church had the effect of throwing cold water on my, admittedly, rote and habitual worship. Do you still believe in God? Assuming the answer is yes, why?
My first inclination was not to answer the question but to compliment the asker. The person who asks a question like this is searching, and the only way to really find something is by adopting a posture that is seeking. There are way too many of us who have stopped pondering or wrestling with the questions that matter. Maybe we’ve become calloused by the distractions of life or maybe the questions scare us into looking away. Maybe cynicism or arrogance (or fear) have shaped us into the kinds of people who see questions as weakness. In that moment, I wasn’t afraid for my wife’s friend. I was proud of her. It takes courage, vulnerability, and humility to ask such a question.
My second inclination was to wonder what she meant by “in light of everything going on.” I know this friend has had some significant personal trials in recent years, but it sounded to me like she was reflecting on a reality much bigger than her own life. It feels like the world is in chaos. The news is full of anger and violence. There’s heartache and pain everywhere we look, and it doesn’t feel like there is much reason for optimism or hope.
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