At my age, especially with my tendency to think too much (as
some have suggested), it is rare for a new thought to come to me. Yet this
morning as I was trying not to wake up, I began to see something in a way I
cannot remember seeing before. I’m sure someone has seen this before, but it is
new to me, and therefore exciting, as I always thrill at new thoughts.
Here it is: it occurred to me that claiming not to believe
in God is like claiming not to believe in gravity. From a human standpoint, the
two share several common traits. Both are invisible; both are powerful; both
are indescribable to some extent; neither can be fully explained by the laws we
count as fundamental; neither can be disregarded without dire consequences. On
this last point, it might be said that one can apparently live as if neither
gravity nor God exist, but eventually one will reach a point where the
existence of both will intrude consequentially upon one’s life.
It also seems that both God and gravity are pretty much
innately understood at a very young age. At around nine months,
babies seem to gain a respect for the existence of gravity. Researchers are
not sure why this understanding comes about, but it does nonetheless. Normal
boys won’t climb to the upper branches of a tree and step out into thin air;
they know better. Likewise, grown men don’t step out of a flying plane without
a parachute. They understand that gravity exists, even if they can’t explain
it. In a similar way, a sense that a higher power exists must be driven out of
the mind of most people, according to Romans
first chapter.
A man could step out of a flying plane without a parachute
claiming that he does not believe in gravity. He might say that because it is
invisible and indescribable by the laws of physics, he chooses not to believe
in it. This disbelief could be maintained for some time, depending on the
altitude of the plane from which he jumped. At some point in time, however, the
man would come to believe in gravity, albeit only for a split second before he
entered eternity.
It strikes me that this is much the way some people are
living their lives. They go about insisting that God does not exist, and, for
the most part, they may be able to maintain their existence without apparent
consequences. However, at some point, whether sooner or later, they will
discover the existence of God. For some it will be after death, for Scripture
teaches that in the final analysis, every knee shall bow, and every tongue
confess that Jesus is Lord.
It would seem strange indeed to hear someone say they don’t
believe in gravity, but it should strike a believer as equally strange to hear
someone say they don’t believe in God. After all, God is as real to me as
gravity: I trust God will someday plant my feet on Heaven’s streets as much as I
trust gravity to keep my feet planted on terra firma for the time being. A
wise man once said it is the fool who says there is no god. It’s just as
foolish as saying there is no gravity, but the consequences are far more
unpleasant and long-lasting. Remember that the next time you hear something
foolish from an unbeliever.
