Opening the door a chink

by Letters Editor · May 10, 2012

From�Tom Drake, Johannesburg

Mario Compagnoni (�A non-believer�s opinion�, April 18), welcome to the company of seekers: those who are not satisfied with what is given them, but wish to know more about themselves and their lives; those who wish to discover what our existence is all about!

One of the elements you have chosen to investigate is that of faith and belief in God, and that of itself is a giant step forward. Although by your letter you have just scratched the surface and are not all that enchanted by what you find, you are looking for a bit more by your invitation to discussion. May I make the following comments.

God is always there for us. He has said in the sacred books: �Look! I am standing at the door and knocking. If anyone listens to my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he will eat with me� (Rev 3:20).

Note that he doesn�t come in unless invited, but he�s always available! And I suspect that you, perhaps unknowingly, have opened that door just a chink, and are at present trying to make out what is on the other side. Carry on! Things might not be too clear at first, and perhaps they won�t come easily, but as the door opens it will change your life. It may change it in complete rejection of God�s love, or perhaps it will enable you to accept and experience that love ever more deeply as time passes.

At this stage you could be thinking that you don�t need any more of this �pap�. Perhaps the leap forward is just too much�after all, you�ve only been seeking the confirmation of your own convictions. But in fairness to yourself, give it a try!

What could you lose? You yourself have said that you envy those with a belief system which offers them such comfort. Even if there is absolutely nothing after death, as you believe, does the comfort the believers gain from their faith not make their lives more liveable? Why endure the hardships that you say living without a belief in God entails�what does it do for you? Isn�t the believer�s way, the Christian way, worth a try?

I have said that I believe that you are seeker after truth, the sort of person worthy of admiration if for that reason only. You may not agree, but I think that you have been given a grace from God�he has brought the thought to your mind that you wish to know more about your life, and in continuing your search I believe you will be brought to know him.

In what way, to what persuasion �that�s a subject for another discussion. But you cannot imagine the transformation that God�s acknowledged presence in your life can make. I say �acknowledged�, because he is there anyway.

If you�re really serious in your search, may I recommend to you CS Lewis�s little book Mere Christianity. If I�m not mistaken it formed a part of a BBC TV series. Lewis was an Anglican, by the way.

I wish you God�s grace�I believe you�ve already been given some of it!