Atheism is not the problem…Apathy is!

Last Sunday I was at church and as I was worshipping God, I sort of recognised this man that comes to church often, siting at the back, not engaging in worship or praying at all. As I was seeing him I remembered that one time we were split into groups to pray, we invited him to join but he flatly refused, saying that he does not know what we are doing (we were just praying, we are not crazy!). I thought that to be fine at the time. But last Sunday compassion for that guy just overtook me and I just started praying for him in my own worship that he may know God. It suddenly hit me that this man will either be saved or will end up hating God even more. I was at peace because I knew that the Holy Spirit knows what he is doing and the fact that this guy comes to the church is saying something already.

Another realisation that I had was that the problem is not really with the militant atheists like Dawkins or Hitchens. Mark Driscoll has said once they get much publicity but little following. So, instead I think that the concern should be with the people that simply do not think about the eternal things or about things that are greater than them. They seize the day (Carpe Diem); remember their mortality (memento mori) etc. Yet, Proverbs says that it is better to go into the house of mourning than to a house of laughter. Should we not laugh? Of course! Heaven is an eternity spent in the joy of God, but in a worldly context there is wisdom in those place of “mourning”, there is fear of God, acknowledgment that our lives are but a vapour.

That’s the problem: the people who are perishing because in the midst of their lives spent in pursuit of consumerism and pleasure they perish into eternity, never laying hold of a security that is only to be found in Jesus Christ.

Plato, in his analogy of the cave described a mission of a good philosopher that is to show the truth to the people who still live in darkness as a duty even if it would put their reputation and life at risk. That is our mission I believe and as the church and Christians we need to think about more of how to prompt, people to think about more spiritual things.  Its not an ideal conversation topic, I know but I’m thinking that it is certainly an interesting way to start witnessing to people, I’m just thinking to myself of whether I will always be up for it, but I think that I can! Soo the rant is over, be blessed!