It's Sunday, and all over the world, Christians are assembling at any number of houses of worship. Sunday, of course, celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and whether you're a believer or not, reality is that a lot of folks DO believe.
From time to time, I frequent websites designed for atheists. It makes for intersting reading. One in particular that caught my attention on an atheist community board was when one member asked the question: "What influenced you to become an atheist?" Most of the answers dealt with the respondee's lack of evidence in a god, how religion is irrational, stuff like that. I "get" that. Fact is, in any matter of belief, there has to be a lot of faith involved, and it's a faith in something that doesn't obey the rules of the natural world. To be a Christian means that you have to accept the supernatural, that there is a world beyond ours, and that Christ, through the incarnation, bridged that gap between those two worlds. Sometimes, in discussions with agnostics (I don't personally know anyone who would call themselves an atheist), I want to say, "Most of us were born with open minds. Remember yours?" Because it just seems sensible that since no one possesses the entire sum of human knowledge that God might exist in that realm they know nothing of.
Some folks simply don't want to consider that, although I think that betrays a lack of intellectual curiosity. And there are plenty of gracious, well-meaning people who have genuinely searched for God and came up lacking. I'm not sure of the theology behind that - why some people just can't believe, but it does happen.
The other act of worship for many today will be the Super Bowl. My teams have been eliminated, and we're faced with a duel between two of the finest quarterbacks playing the game. Some folks (fans, short for "fanatic," of course) treat this as a high and holy moment, a gathering of true believers, and their very hearts and minds will be changed based on whether their team is victorious or not. Well, I'll admit to investing myself pretty seriously in my favorite teams, college or pro, but life always goes on. We're having a bunch of teenagers from church over tonight, and we'll have a great time. It's not worship, though.
Finally, check out "Reign of Silence" if you haven't already. It's out there for the Kindle, and you'll find that it's available at an attractive price point. And it's good, if you like that sort of thing.
Blessings!
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