For an Atheist
On paper, it may seem like we’ve got completely contrasting ideas and beliefs
But I can still consider you my neighbor and potential friend
Would I take a bullet for you? I would hope so…
And pray for you as well
When I meet with you, I don’t really care about appearance or success
Are you leading a virtuous life? Are you seeking truth?
What gifts has God given you?
What can I praise and thank Him for, on your behalf?
Sometimes conflict causes the good to become better, the bad to become worse
That would be my main concern…
We can argue, but may it be in a spirit of mutual peace and respect
We don’t want to sacrifice human decency, we don’t want to throw anyone under the bus
At the root of atheism, it’s been said there’s an underlying emotional reason
Because logic makes sense, and without a Creator, how can anything be explained?
You don’t believe it can ever be certified that a deity exists
But I’m certain that you exist precisely because of Him—the wonders of each cell in your body, your intellect capable of free will
Then why aren’t my prayers being answered?
Why is there so much suffering in the world?
Why, if God is so good and powerful, would He allow war, rape, cancer, starvation, child abuse?
If He’s always watching us and knows all things, why do bad people get away with murder?
I sympathize with all these questions and have pondered them myself
Ultimately, I looked at Jesus and learned how God suffers with and for us
More intensely, more sensitively, than we could possibly know or empathize
And in the parable of the prodigal, the Good Father is still searching, waiting with a broken heart
Maybe you don’t trust feelings, and faith is based too much on them
But being human means that we have both reason and emotion
Have you ever wondered if they are compatible?
If the height of reason, the summit of emotion, is a life ordered towards the greatest good, Who is God?
Why are we moved by beauty, by babies born and sacrificial love?
It’s not useless sentiment, for we’re inspired to shine like the stars
Now, if you look at humanity, I challenge you to find anyone as beautiful, honorable, wise, and good as Jesus
In all of objective and carefully scrutinized history, has there been anyone that can even hold a candle to Him?
He brings out the best in us
Because God is active and real and alive
From twelve apostles, He’s been transforming all the ends of the earth
Do you really think this is a fluke, a fiction that’s become a mass hysteria?
Would the situation change if you experienced a miracle?
Never mind the testimonies of those “crazy Christians”
You want to know it for yourself, to put your fingers inside His wounds
To have one prayer answered, that only He could know and do
Well, pray—the shortest distance to God is this direct line
Pray, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain
Humble yourself, purify your heart, before the possibility of an Almighty and All-Loving God
Let Him surprise you, and give you a reason for your faith