Just this past week I had the privilege to be in London on business. The last day of my trip a car was hired for my 1 hour and 15 minute ride back to Heathrow Airport from the Buckhurst Hill/Waltham Abbey area where I was staying.
I was in car #35 with a very (not overly) personable and talkative driver named Bill. A native Pakistani who had lived in Great Britain for more than 40 years. He was a father of 5 and recently separated from his wife of an arranged marriage.
Bill broached the subject of religion and spirituality. It didn’t take long through a series of what I would call worldview indicators in his own conversation to identify that his a muslim - but not in fellowship or in obedience with the teaching of the Qur’an.
Bill was actually more of a pluralist than anything and this was where the Gospel conversation emerged.
Bill said, “God knew about all these religions...the truth is they’re all the same.”
Me: “Well, they are similar I suppose in that they are systems of beliefs and worldviews based on teachings...in that they’re of the same kind. But you’ve impressed me on how much you’ve really researched many of these things; so I know you’re aware of the major distinctions and the problem with Christianity and Jesus.”
Bill: “What do you mean problem with Jesus?”
Me: “The Bible as a whole and Jesus, specifically on several occasions, disqualify Biblical Christianity from being lumped in with all the other religions.”
Bill: (diversion) “The truth is nobody knows anything; it’s all faith. If we want to know something we have to look at Science. There is much scientific evidence and many facts that prove that man has been around for millions and millions of years - all the holy books only say man’s been here for a few thousand years. None of them address that.”
Me: “You’re very well read, I can tell. Science amuses me in a lot of ways. It was bonafide, credentialed scientists - not the Bible - that stated the fact and bore evidence that the world was flat. Scientists said the Personal Computer was too cumbersome to ever be deployed and that at most 5-6 households per city may have one by the year 2015. Science has killed many scores of people with bad medicine only to later disproved itself. All the while, the Bible hasn’t changed; even the Qur’an, you know has been updated with later writings that undo the earlier writings.”
Bill: “You know I never thought about how quickly science changes.”
Me: “The Bible clearly states that the word of the Lord stands forever. The problem with Jesus and all other religions is that he himself said, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no man comes to the Father except through me.” Either he’s absolutely authoritative in that claim or he is a sinner just like the rest prone to delusions and lies. WIth all of science’s endeavors to disprove the Bible, they keep changing their conclusions and evidence at a rate that there’s enough to fill up magazines published monthly...that’s how fast scientific evidence is changing...yet, they’ve never undone any - not one - claim of God’s Word, The Bible.”
Bill: “Very interesting. How do you feel about the illuminati and the one world government thing? That’s true, right? Most of the problems of the world are with our leadership...it’s not the people it’s the leaders!”
Me: “I agree that there’s a lot of corruption at a lot of levels today. But it’s interesting to me we blame the affluent for global troubles because they’re too wealthy. Yet when a heinous murder is committed, the first thing we want to know is about the troubled/impoverished/difficult childhood. There’s a prophet in the Bible named Jeremiah who wrote, “The heart of man is deceitful and wicked above all things. Who can know it?”
I’m more of the mindset that man may want to do good for others, but is ultimately incapable - at his best - at selfless good...Only the Bible addresses that. God sent Jesus so that we could be free from the curse of sin in our own lives and please God while we love and serve others.”
Bill: “That’s what it’s about isn’t it. Loving and serving others!”
Me: “We just can’t do it right on our own - that’s the problem with Christianity isn’t it?”
(arrived at airport)
Bill: “I’ve really enjoyed this. Would you ask for me next time when you come back? I want to hear more...talk about this some more?”
Me: You better believe it.
Pray for Bill. I’m going to send him a book that I think he may enjoy that may whet his scientific intrigue and point him to the God of the Bible.
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