9/17: Proove God exists?
This past Monday night at Catacombs a group conversation formed in the Art Room. One student asked whether or not we can prove God’s existence while also identifying themselves with the belief in reincarnation. My first reaction was to respond to the proof of God question with all the pat Christian answers thereby creating a debate on the existence of God. But, what would such a debate accomplish. Many people love the idea of God but don’t love God. We love the debates about the existence and attributes of God but we don’t engage in a relationship with God. Proving God existed wouldn’t help this student to have a relationship with God anyway and could possibly cause further spiritual harm to their soul. The real question for this student was can I trust you and what your saying? Is it possible that God cares about me and my situation and wants to be with me? My response to this student was that I can’t prove God exists because it’s about a relationship, it’s about our hearts.
It’s easy in the excitement of the moment, with all the chaos and noise, to get lost in what is really happening. It’s also easy for us to impose our questions onto the other person. We hear a student say something or ask something and we interpret their statements through our own filters thinking that the student is on the same page as us when in reality their somewhere else. Often, even questions themselves, are not straight forward and mask a deeper issue or question that the student is really wanting to ask but may be unable to put to words or may be fearful of asking because of the consequences. We need to remember that for a student to just ask a spiritual question can be extremely intimidating and is putting them into a vulnerable position.
Jesus often asked his listeners if they had ears to hear. Do we have ears to hear and eyes to see what is in the heart of another? We’re not always going to get it because who can know the inner mystery of another person other than God. I’m convinced we often aren’t even in touch with our own inner reality. But, we are called to engage in a journey of discovery that as much as the student is willing to allow us to travel with them we journey together seeking to uncover the reality of God as they respond to it. It’s not about imposing our way or beliefs upon them but about reflecting an alternative way to them while attempting to hear their heart.
wasn’t there but…questions on the existence of god usually stem from the question of “is truth relative”