Word To The Wise - Jn. 9:39

"Then Jesus told him, 'I have come to judge the world, I have come to give sight to the blind and to show those who think that they see that they are blind.'" Jn. 9:39

There is a friend of mine who is an atheist, and we have these ongoing discussions about whether there is a God, reasons to believe or not, etc. Among his many issues, is that he feels that there is too much that is illogical about a belief in a supernatural being. Even if he did exist, who really knows who he is--many religions believe that what THEY believe is right. What gives Christians the right to say that theirs is the only right answer? Even if I get him to accept that Jesus is the ONLY one who said that he was, in fact, God, and came specifically to show mankind the way, because he is a scientist, he still has intellectual issues. Accepting anything strictly by faith is absurd to him. If there was a God who created all things, then he created him as well as his intellect; and now this God wants him to suspend the use of that intellect to believe in him? This makes no sense to him. The idea of a "God" goes against everything that is scientific and logical in him--he even said that it is like trying to make him believe that gravity doesn't exist.

The intellectual in me understands all this, and I had to contend with some of the same thoughts on my path to being a believer. The conclusion that I reached was that the analytical, scientific, logical man can also accept that if there was an all-powerful God who created EVERYTHING, that being simply a man, he would not be able to understand everything about him. To me this is very logical. So it is not a matter of suspending intellect, it is rather understanding the limits of that intellect. This verse in John is something that I have to remind myself of more often. To the degree that I can remain "blind," the more I have to trust my guide Jesus to lead me; the more that I think I can see, the more I trust in myself to get me... where?

God, I pray that you keep me humble. Keep me blind to everything but what you want to show me and tell me. Show me how to live my life with only you as my guide.

Today's reading: Zeph. 1-3; Jn. 9