Hello , 

 

When the bestselling writer Stephen King was interviewed by NPR's Terry Gross, King shared some interesting thoughts about his faith in God. At one point Gross commented, "[So] you always believed in God. You were just bored in church."

 

King replied,

"It's certainly a subject that's interested me, and I think it interests me more the older that I get. I think we'd all like to believe that after we shuffle off this mortal coil, that there's gonna be something on the other side. Because for most of us, I know for me, life is so rich-so colorful, and sensual, and full of good things, things to read, things to eat, things to watch, places to go, new experiences-that I don't want to think that you just go to darkness ....

I choose to believe [in God]. There's no downside to that. If you say, "Well, OK, I don't believe in God. There's no evidence of God," then you're missing the stars in the sky and you're missing the sunrises and sunsets and you're missing the fact that bees pollinate all these crops and keep us alive and the way that everything seems to work together. Everything is sort of built in a way that to me suggests intelligent design."

King went on to say, "But, at the same time, there's a lot of things in life where you say to yourself, 'Well, if this is God's plan, it's very peculiar,' and you have to wonder about that guy's personality-the big guy's personality .... What I'm saying now is I choose to believe in God, but I have serious doubts ...."

 

Am I going out on a limb to say that I'm wondering what it is that Stephen King is REALLY saying? It sounds like he's trying to embrace the THOUGHT of belief, but that he can't bring himself to say that he has REASONS ENOUGH to give his life over to that belief...a "believe at a distance" if you will.

 

I am certainly not judge (or jury,) for Mr. King, (I don't know him, or what type of an environment he's been in that may have brought texture or shape to his world,) but when it comes to spiritual things, I just HAVE to experience something a little more tangible than some ethereal "belief choice" that God exists. 

 

-If God DOES exist, it's the greatest news that we have ever heard.

 

-If salvation IS true, than it's worth taking more than just a casual glance at. 

 

-If a divine being IS real, and He tells us that He loves us and wants to save us for eternity, it would be a tragedy to let an opportunity just pass on by...wouldn't it?

 

Actually experiencing the relationship that God has planned for each of us is MUCH better than wondering whether or not it actually exists.  :)

 

 

Have a great day and God bless!

 

 

 

Pastor Mike / The Open Word