“The Conversation”

(Author unknown)

 

Professor: You are a Christian, aren’t you, son? Student: Yes, sir.    Professor: So, you believe in GOD? Student: Absolutely, sir.

Professor: Is GOD good? Student: Sure.

Professor: Is GOD all powerful? Student: Yes.

 

Professor: My brother died of cancer even though he prayed to GOD to heal him. Most of us would attempt to help others who are ill. But GOD didn’t. How is this GOD good then? Hmm?

(Student was silent.)

 

Professor: You can’t answer, can you? Let’s start again, young fella. Is GOD good? Student: Yes.

Professor: Is Satan good? Student: No.

Professor: Where does Satan come from? Student: From … GOD …

 

Professor: That’s right. Tell me son, is there evil in this world? Student: Yes.

Professor: Evil is everywhere, isn’t it? And GOD did make everything. Correct? Student: Yes.

Professor: So, who created evil? (Student did not answer.)

 

Professor: Is there sickness? Immorality? Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things exist in the world, don’t they? Student: Yes, sir.

Professor: So, who created them? (Student had no answer.)

 

Professor: Science says you have 5 Senses you use to identify and observe the world around you. Tell me, son, have you ever seen GOD? Student: No, sir.

Professor: Tell us if you have ever heard your GOD? Student: No , sir.

 

Professor: Have you ever felt your GOD, tasted your GOD, smelt your GOD? Have you ever had any sensory perception of GOD for that matter? Student: No, sir. I’m afraid I haven’t.

Professor: Yet you still believe in Him? Student: Yes.

 

Professor: According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn’t exist. What do you say to that, son? Student: Nothing. I only have my faith.

Professor: Yes, faith. And that is the problem Science has.                Student: Professor, is there such a thing as heat?

Professor: Yes.

Student: And is there such a thing as cold? Professor: Yes.

Student: No, sir. There isn’t. (The lecture theater became very quiet with this turn of events.)

 

Student: Sir, you can have lots of heat, even more heat, superheat, mega heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat. But we don’t have anything called cold. We can hit 458 degrees below zero which is no heat, but we can’t go any further after that. There is no such thing as cold. Cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot measure cold. Heat is energy. Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.

(There was pin-drop silence in the lecture theater.)

 

Student: What about darkness, Professor? Is there such a thing as darkness?

Professor: Yes. What is night if there isn’t darkness?

Student: You’re wrong again, sir. Darkness is the absence of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light, flashing light. But if you have no light constantly, you have nothing and it’s called darkness, isn’t it? In reality, darkness isn’t. If it is, well you would be able to make darkness darker, wouldn’t you?

 

Professor: So, what is the point you are making, young man?

Student: Sir, my point is your philosophical premise is flawed. Professor: Flawed? Can you explain how?

                                                                                                           

Student: Sir, you are working on the premise of duality. You argue there is life and then there is death, a good GOD and a bad GOD. You are viewing the concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure. Sir, Science can’t even explain a thought. It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one. To view death as the opposite of life is to be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.

Death is not the opposite of life: just the absence of it. Now tell me, Professor, do you teach your students that they evolved from a monkey?

Professor: If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, yes, of course, I do.

 

Student: Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?

(The Professor shook his head with a smile, beginning to realize where the argument was going.)

 

Student: Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor. Are you not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you not a scientist but a preacher?

(The class was in uproar.)

Student: Is there anyone in the class who has ever seen the Professor’s brain?

(The class broke out into laughter.)

 

Student: Is there anyone here who has ever heard the Professor’s brain, felt it, touched or smelt it? No one appears to have done so. So, according to the established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that you have no brain, sir. With all due respect, sir, how do we then trust your lectures, sir?

(The room was silent. The Professor stared at the student; his face unfathomable.)

 

Professor: I guess you’ll have to take them on faith, son.

Student: That is it sir … Exactly ! The link between man & GOD is FAITH. That is all that keeps things alive and moving.

<>< 

By the way, that student was ALBERT EINSTEIN.

<>< 

I found this “conversation” while restackiing the stacks on my desk. I’m not sure who gave it to me (if it’s YOU, let me know!). Uncle Albert is demonstrating to us how important an open mind is, as well as the self-willingness to stretch your comfort zone and grow some new flowers! That’s what I’m trying to do this summer. Let’s do it together.

 

Oh! By the way. The topic I really wanted to write about was my favorite Einstein quote. This quote had a very large impact on my approach to learning. It was one of the lessons that helped lead me to God. Why? Because it “allowed” me that I could embrace the reality of  the concept of “faith,” and that faith can be more powerful intellectually than knowledge. At least it should be.

 

Here’s my favorite Einstein quote:

 

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”   ~ Albert Einstein

 

Let’s do some faith-based brain yoga!

   <>< Pastor Bob

3 men’s bicycles

standing together

in the front yard

of the duplex on the corner.

 

Not often seen

attracts my attention

and then wondering begins.

 

Why are these 3 bikes here?

Whose are they?

What could they mean?

 

But perhaps better yet

who is it that would ponder

such deeply profound questions?

And I’m so glad I did …

 

… stop to notice

… and wonder

… and be blessed.

These three things could make a life.

 

Each of these bikes … a life

not make believe nor hypothetical

All 3 God’s own

like us

yet not.

 

3 bikes

one for each

who fled from home

seeking refuge

in ours.

 

Separated from their only ones who really matter

in midst of great uncertainty

and death

with fearful hearts.

 

Each bike a life

a hope

for good life

safe secure settled home.

 

Not yet though

adjustment first

this means Arthur

for three men and their bikes.

 

Here is home for now.

Welcome neighbors.

 

Men of empires start wars

flaunt their might

destroy lives.

 

But people of God

respond to wars

rebuild lives

offer God’s peace.

 

 

People of God

in our midst

called to respond

as Jesus taught.

 

3 bicycles

3 men

3 neighbors

3 lives of hope.

 

Love?

Neighbors?

Love

as Yourself.