Conversation with A Struggling Believer Part I
Person: "I have come to the point where I believe that Christianity does not possess the answers that mankind needs."
God: "Go on continue..."
Person: "Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about how another priest left the priesthood. Now this priest was beloved and by all accounts he was the perfect parish priest; godly, holy, and pious. When I found out that he left it left me very doubtful. If he could leave the priesthood then what about me?"
God: "What about you? How are you doing with your faith?
Person: "I am still hanging on, but not for altruistic aims. I am not a quitter. It is in my nature to keep going. I am not doing this out of love. I am doing it out of duty. Who knows maybe when some more cogent philosophy comes along I might leave the faith like the rest of my family already has."
God: "What about the good things in your life? Your wife, job, your house, beautiful music etc?"
Person: "These things are great and they make life worthwhile but I have come to the conclusion that anything good in life comes more from the effort of a person then from your bounty."
God. "Did you ever consider that maybe I was the motive, the one who gave the strength and tenacity necessary to accomplish these great feats?"
Person: "Maybe so, but your intervention since biblical times has been non-existent. In the Bible you were very present even when your followers did not want you to be. Today you are nowhere to be found. Even Jesus manifested himself through extraordinary miracles. Since Jesus there has been nothing of the sort. It seems that you have taken a holiday from running the world and have left us to our own devices."
God: "How would you describe the countless saints who have served me throughout history? Surely you must admit that there are still some great people left in the world?"
Person: "There are, but they are few and far between. What is it? Like one out of a million. You find those odds in any field. The best are always in the minority. The Saints that you mentioned before are extraordinary beings that were born with special abilities. The vast majority of people will never become another Mother Teresa, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, or even a marginally successful executive."
God: "How about yourself? How are you growing in your life?"
Person: "I am not really growing that much. I'm still slipping and sliding everyday, making the same mistakes with little to show for it. I am definitely not even in the same league as your chosen ones. There must be something wrong with Christianity if so few are able to keep up with it?"
God: "I have never left you or left mankind. Mankind has left me."
God: "Go on continue..."
Person: "Just yesterday I was talking with a friend about how another priest left the priesthood. Now this priest was beloved and by all accounts he was the perfect parish priest; godly, holy, and pious. When I found out that he left it left me very doubtful. If he could leave the priesthood then what about me?"
God: "What about you? How are you doing with your faith?
Person: "I am still hanging on, but not for altruistic aims. I am not a quitter. It is in my nature to keep going. I am not doing this out of love. I am doing it out of duty. Who knows maybe when some more cogent philosophy comes along I might leave the faith like the rest of my family already has."
God: "What about the good things in your life? Your wife, job, your house, beautiful music etc?"
Person: "These things are great and they make life worthwhile but I have come to the conclusion that anything good in life comes more from the effort of a person then from your bounty."
God. "Did you ever consider that maybe I was the motive, the one who gave the strength and tenacity necessary to accomplish these great feats?"
Person: "Maybe so, but your intervention since biblical times has been non-existent. In the Bible you were very present even when your followers did not want you to be. Today you are nowhere to be found. Even Jesus manifested himself through extraordinary miracles. Since Jesus there has been nothing of the sort. It seems that you have taken a holiday from running the world and have left us to our own devices."
God: "How would you describe the countless saints who have served me throughout history? Surely you must admit that there are still some great people left in the world?"
Person: "There are, but they are few and far between. What is it? Like one out of a million. You find those odds in any field. The best are always in the minority. The Saints that you mentioned before are extraordinary beings that were born with special abilities. The vast majority of people will never become another Mother Teresa, Michael Jordan, Bill Gates, or even a marginally successful executive."
God: "How about yourself? How are you growing in your life?"
Person: "I am not really growing that much. I'm still slipping and sliding everyday, making the same mistakes with little to show for it. I am definitely not even in the same league as your chosen ones. There must be something wrong with Christianity if so few are able to keep up with it?"
God: "I have never left you or left mankind. Mankind has left me."
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