A New Way of Seeing

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.