CWAS Excerpt Number Six

This excerpt is from the sixth chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Necessary

On Monday morning, the stranger was already seated at my table when I walked in. In a sense, he was no longer a stranger. We had been having regular encounters and conversations. He certainly didn’t treat me like a stranger, not even on the first day we met. But I wasn’t anxious to take our relationship to the point of being friends. Being more comfortable on a formal basis, I hadn’t even asked his name, and so far he hadn’t asked mine. As I approached the table he said, “Good morning, my friend.”

“Hello, sir.”

“Being alive is about the best thing there is. Don’t you agree?”

“Well, it’s better than the alternative,” I replied. “It sounds like things are going good for you, sir.”

“I’m just great!” he resounded. “If life was any better than this, I wouldn’t be able to stand it. How was work Friday?”

“Every day is just like the day before,” I moaned.

“Well, I think you’re in for a great future. I don’t know why I think so, but I just feel it. Can you feel it?”

“Not really, sir.”

“You’ll come around, I’m sure. Start imagining yourself doing what you want to do and feeling the way you want to feel. Start imagining that the answers to life’s questions are right in front of you, waiting to be seen and understood. Pretty soon you will come to believe what you are imagining. After you imagine something and believe it, you will eventually begin doing the things necessary to achieve it. Soon, you will find yourself possessing it.”

I wasn’t sure if he was feeding me some sort of mumbo jumbo or what. It wasn’t the first time I had heard that sort of philosophy, but I never had given much consideration to it. I decided to file it away in my mind and reconsider it at a later date.

While I was mulling over his last statement he asked, “Are you ready to see if we can discover another exciting proof of God’s existence?”

“I didn’t realize that the first two proofs were exciting. But yeah, let’s hear it.”

“Well, I for one can’t wait to get started.” He didn’t waste any time getting right into the subject matter. “I’m sure you’d agree that you, yourself, exist.”

“Well, that seems easy enough to answer, sir. I saw myself in the mirror this morning while nicking myself with a dull razor blade. So yes, I believe that I definitely do exist.”

“Can you exist in a vacuum chamber?”

“No, sir, I need air to breathe. Besides that, my eyes would probably pop out of their sockets if I was in a vacuum.”

“Can you exist without food?”

“No, I can’t. My body needs the nourishment provided by food in order for me to survive.”

“So, it appears that the survival of your body is contingent upon other things and other factors.”

“You have no argument from me,” I said.

Without hesitating, he continued, “It looks like you are telling me that your body can exist only if something else also exists right now, at this very moment.”

“Sir, I believe that to be true. Our bodies require the influence and impact of other things in order to survive.”

He leaned back in his chair and twiddled his thumbs. After a few moments he asked, “Friend, what exactly, are you?”

He had a strange way of communicating his ideas. “What am I?” I asked. “I’m a human, of course. The last I checked, I wasn’t in the jelly fish family.”

His perpetual smile grew even bigger. “Well, whether you are a human or a jelly fish, wouldn’t you say that you definitely are a material being?”

“No one has accused me of being a ghost, sir.”

Ignoring my sarcasm he asked, “And wouldn’t you say that you are a limited being, as opposed to an infinite being?”

“Sir, we decided previously that the term infinite implies something of an unlimited and unending nature. So yes, I am a limited being.”

“Finally, friend, are you a changing being?”

“Of course, I’m changing. I have a picture of myself when I was twenty-one years old. I certainly don’t look the same today as I did then. And then there are those aches and pains. I didn’t have them when I was twenty-one either. And then there is the problem with my hair. When I was twenty-one, I had lots of hair on my head. Today, that hair is on my back and in my ears. So, yes I am a changing being. I’m not too happy about it, but that’s the way it is.”

“Friend, you are about the funniest person I know. Anyhow, you’re admitting that you are dependent upon other factors, and that you are a limited and changing being. What else do you suppose is limited and changing?”

“Well, everything in the animal kingdom is limited and changing.”

“Is that all?”

This guy didn’t make things easy for me. Far be it from him to volunteer much information. He acted like he wanted me to come up with all of the answers. Who was teaching whom? “Well, sir, I reckon that everything in the plant kingdom is also limited and changing.”

“Is that all? Is there anything else?”

While waiting for me to think about his question and respond, he was busy drinking his coffee, eating his bagel, and glancing about the room. He was beginning to get on my nerves. There were times when he reminded me of when I used to play chess with my father. Being a youngster and not having much enthusiasm for becoming intimate with the intricate strategies of chess, I would have to sit for minutes on end laboriously thinking about each and every move. Not being one to sit idly by, my father would keep busy reading a book, changing channels on the radio, or talking to others in the room. The more he did that, the more frustrated I got. Eventually, and with much hesitation, I would make my move. Out of the corner of his eye, he would see me retract my hand from the game board. With speed and flair of authority, he would then move his piece. Then the whole frustrating process would start all over again for me.

My eyes must have glazed over while I was reminiscing about my past. I had completely forgotten what he had asked. “I’m sorry, sir. My mind must have drifted off. What did you ask me?”

“Not a problem, friend. You said that both plants and animals are limited and changing. I asked you if anything else is limited and changing.”

“Oh yes, now I remember. I’m not sure what else is also limited and changing. But I suspect I will know shortly.”

“I am referring to inanimate objects. Take rocks for example. Do you suppose that rocks are limited too?”

“That’s simple enough to answer. Yes, rocks are limited too. They’re not infinite by any means.”

“Wouldn’t you agree that most everything on earth is limited?”

“Sure. Why not? Everything on earth is limited.”

“What about the planets and stars? Are they limited?”

“Well, the only other choice is unlimited or infinite. So my vote is for all planets and stars being limited too.”

“Bear with me, my friend. I certainly do appreciate your patience.”

Patience is necessary indeed, I thought. I needed a lot of patience to listen to this fellow every day.

“Since the universe is the total accumulation of all planets, stars, and all other matter, wouldn’t you say that the universe and all that is within it is limited?”

“You drive a hard bargain, sir. Sure, why not? The entire universe is limited.”

“Perhaps you would also agree with me that the universe and all that is within it is also changing.”

I was beginning to understand the negative feeling that most people have with attorneys. Like this stranger, an attorney continuously builds his case one statement at a time until his victim is backed into a corner with no way out.

“Sir, I’ve got to protest. I don’t know that I can agree on the changing part. A rock doesn’t change. It’s inanimate. How can a rock change?”

“Have you ever hit a rock with a hammer?”

“Yes.”

“Did it break?”

“Yes.”

“So, it changed, did it not?”

“If you put it that way, I guess so.”

“What about the sun and the stars? The very act of giving light and heat requires change doesn’t it?”

“I suppose so.”

“Now, there is other matter in the universe. There are planets, asteroids, comets, and no telling what else drifting about in the universe. Do they not change whenever they are impacted by other matter floating about in the universe?”

A bit irritated, I protested, “Sir, you won’t quit until you win. Yes, it seems that the entire universe and all that’s within it is limited and changing in some form or another. What else do you want from me…my first born?”

Undeterred, he continued, “Now, my friend, let’s recap a little bit. The existence of every human, every animal, and every plant is contingent upon something else for its very being. Without something outside of themselves, they would not have come into existence. Without something outside of themselves, they would not continue to be in existence. Without something outside of themselves, they could not change.”

“I believe that is what we agreed on.”

“And all other matter, while not living and breathing, is dependent upon something outside of itself to cause it to change in the way that it changes. All matter and the entire universe, living or not living, is dependent or contingent upon something else.”

“It sounds like we are going in circles again, sir. You remind me of a guy who has one foot nailed to the floor and all he can do is walk in circles. But yes, you seem to have a point.”

“You are quite comical, my friend,” chuckled the stranger. “Your existence is contingent upon something else. The existence of that something else is contingent upon something else yet. This contingency goes on and on and on. It goes farther and farther back in the past to the very beginning. We already discussed that there is no such thing as perpetual motion. Likewise, there can’t be an entire universe of contingent beings that are all dependent upon other contingent beings for their existence and change. Everything that exists needs to be given being, but at some point in the past, there must be something that was not contingent on something else.”

“I feel like I’ve been here before, sir. I think you’re getting ready to make a point.”

“Yes, I believe we are working our way up to a point. There must be something that is not and cannot be contingent on something else. From our description and definition of the universe, this something cannot be the universe itself, and it cannot be any part of the universe. This something that is not dependent or contingent upon something else can only exist in itself. It must be something from outside the universe of matter and limited beings. But what is outside of the universe?”

“We have previously determined that there is nothing outside of the universe.”

“Can nothing have an influence on something?”

“No, sir. We’ve made a determination on that also. Nothing is nothing. Only something can have the capacity to influence something else.”

“We have arrived at another dilemma, my friend. All matter is contingent upon something else for its existence and/or change. But beyond the beginning of the universe, there was absolutely nothing. Before there was something, there was only nothing. If nothing has no capacity to create or change, then the universe could not have begun to exist. Yet, my friend, the universe did begin to exist. So there must be a necessary being that is not contingent upon anything else for its own existence. There must be something that exists, something that does not exist on the condition that something else gives it existence. There must be something that exists only in and of itself. The only thing required for this thing’s existence is this thing itself. There must be a necessary being that is not a part of the universe. There must be a necessary being to cause the being of all contingent beings. All of creation cannot owe its being to its own self, but to something other than itself. All of creation had a beginning. If all of creation had a beginning, then there was a time in which it was not. All of creation and all parts of creation could not have created themselves. All of creation was the result and influence of some other necessary being that was not made or created. This Necessary Being is God.”

“Kudos to you, sir,” I said while slowly clapping my hands in mock applause. “You’ve done it again.”

“No, my friend, we have done it again, you and me together.” Continuing as if I had not just insulted him, he said, “So far, we have explored several proofs of God’s existence. He is the Unmoved Mover, He is the Uncaused Cause, and now He is the Necessary Being. Our two simple minds have proven that God exists. How do you feel about our discovery?”

“As I stated before, these proofs are thought provoking indeed. As convincing as they are, they still don’t absolutely and without a doubt prove that God exists. At the risk of sounding defiant, I wonder if you have any other proofs.”

“You ask and I provide,” replied the stranger. “Yes, my friend, I do have more. Let me think…oh yes, I’ve got another good one. It goes like this—”

Quickly, I interrupted him, “Wait a second, sir. Time is getting away from me again. Will you be here tomorrow?”

“If you’re going to be here, I’ll make a point to be here also, friend. I look forward to sharing another proof developed by a great thinker.”

Getting up I said, “Sounds like a date. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Seven

This excerpt is from the seventh chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Perfect

On Tuesday, I was tired and cranky. Lightning, thunder, and pounding rain outside my window kept me awake nearly all night. It didn’t help matters that when running to my car I stepped in a deep puddle of water and soaked my feet and pants.

When I arrived at the coffee shop parking lot, I reached under my seat for my umbrella. After stretching and straining, I finally found it. It was one of those compact umbrellas that fit in the palm of your hand when not in use. It looked pretty practical when I saw it on the store shelf. But on that particular day, I was about to regret my choice of umbrellas. I slammed my car door and began trudging across the parking lot toward the coffee shop. Suddenly, a gust of wind turned my umbrella inside out. By the time I got to the protection of the shop’s sidewalk awning, I was soaked from head to toe. I carefully reset my umbrella to its original shape, folded it up, and left it near the door.

The stranger was standing by the window watching others make a mad dash to the protection of the canopy over the sidewalk. “You look like a drowned rat,” he said without making any effort to hide his laughter.

“I feel like one too. What a sloppy day.”

He joined me at the counter while I waited on my coffee, but he didn’t order anything for himself. “No coffee for you today?” I asked.

“Can’t pass up my morning coffee,” he said. “But mine is already at our table.”

I jerked my head toward him with a mixture of surprise and disgust on my face. He was talking about our table as if we were the best of friends. I didn’t say a word. Instead, I just meekly followed him over to our table.

Sure enough, when we got to the table I spotted his coffee and a half-eaten cinnamon roll. Leaning against his chair was the most massive umbrella I had ever laid eyes on.

“You won’t get very wet with that umbrella,” I said.

“It certainly is a good one,” he replied. “I don’t enjoy getting wet like you do, so I bought the biggest and best umbrella I could find.” Again, he started laughing while pointing to my wet and dripping clothing.

I pretended that he never even made that remark. Instead, I just stared at my coffee.

After some silence, I glanced up and noticed that he was looking out the window at the still-pouring rain. “Not as nice this morning as yesterday,” he said.

“No, it certainly isn’t.”

“You know, there are bad days, not so bad days, good days, and not so good days. Then, you hear people talk about the absolute worst days or the most perfect sunny days.”

“Yeah and today is one of those not so good days,” I said.

“And then there are flimsy umbrellas, there are lousy little folding umbrellas like yours, and there are fantastic umbrellas like mine.” This time he didn’t bust out laughing, but he sure did have a big grin on his face.

“It sounds like you just insulted me, sir.”

“Oh. I’m sorry,” said the stranger. “I didn’t mean to insult you. I was just talking about how some days are better than others and how some things are better than others.”

“Next thing I know, you’re going to start talking about how much uglier I am than you,” I retorted.

“Now, I wouldn’t do that,” he said. “But now that you mention it, some people are better looking than others. Have you ever heard someone say that they saw the most beautiful woman in the world? Or have you ever heard someone refer to the ugliest person on the face of the earth?”

“Are you going somewhere with this insanity?” I asked.

“As a matter of fact, I am. If you are ready, I would like for us to explore another proof of God’s existence based on what we’ve just been talking about.”

How can he do that? I thought. Just a casual conversation about the weather can turn into another proof of God’s existence.

“So, discussing my little flimsy umbrella and a rainy day is sufficient enough to prove that God exists. I’ve got to hear this one. Please go ahead, sir.”

“Since you insist, I believe I will,” replied the stranger. “We’ve already noted that some days are better than others, and some umbrellas protect you from the rain better than others. We also agreed that some people have a better physical appearance than others. You know, virtually everything we see and do has a certain degree of quality based on the best or worst of its kind. One bed is softer than another; one light bulb is brighter than another; one shade of paint is whiter than another. All of those comparisons are based on the best of that particular quality. All of those comparisons are relating to degrees of perfection. Beauty is a certain degree of perfect beauty. On the other end of the scale, homeliness is also a degree of perfect beauty…just farther down the scale.” He paused, took a sip of coffee, and made an ugly face. “You know, my coffee isn’t as hot as yours because it’s been sitting on this table for quite a while. I think I need to pour it out and get a refill. If you will excuse me, I’ll be right back.”

Before he took two steps, he paused and looked back at me with a smile. “You know, it just hit me…I was just referring to the various degrees of hot coffee. Your coffee is hotter than mine. Yours is closer to the ultimate for hot coffee, and mine is farther down the scale for the perfect temperature of hot coffee.” Without another word, he spun on his feet, heading for the coffee counter. I could hear him chuckling as he went. This guy was just too happy for me.

When he returned I said, “You seem like a nice guy, but sometimes you talk about the strangest things.”

Without any hesitation he said, “Speaking of being a nice guy, I guess you’re comparing me to some people who are not so nice, some who are very nice, and some who are downright mean. It sounds like you have just compared me to others, in degrees of perfect niceness.”

“Well, sir, I suppose so.”

Continuing, he said, “And then there are degrees of goodness, degrees of knowledge, degrees of color, and even degrees of prosperity, wouldn’t you agree?”

“All right,” I said. “Everyone and everything has qualities that are of various degrees of perfection for some particular quality.”

“How discerning,” he answered. Are you sure you don’t already know where we’re going with this discussion?”

“Believe me,” I replied. “I don’t have a clue where we’re going.”

“All of the things we’ve discussed are thought of as more or less of a certain quality that is considered to be the ultimate of that particular quality. That ultimate quality is the perfect quality.”

“I’m anxious to see how you can tie this into the existence of God. Quite frankly, I am amazed at how you’ve been able to do it so far.”

“Not just me, my friend. We have done it together.”

“Sir, I don’t think we’ve done it together. You already knew all of the information we discussed.”

“Not exactly, my friend. I was aware of the basic premise for each proof, but you and I worked our way through each of the proofs together. Quite frankly, my friend, I am mighty glad to be able to glean some scientific reasoning from your point of view.”

I wasn’t too sure if I had just received a compliment or not. “You are kind, sir. But I’m still not sure where we are going with this.”

“We’re just about there, friend. Let’s recap a little bit. There’s the perfect day that we compare every day to, there’s the perfect umbrella by which all umbrellas are judged, there’s a perfect beauty, a perfect brightness, a perfect whiteness, a perfect color, a perfect heat, a perfect courtesy, and a perfect goodness. We could sit here all day and never exhaust all of the qualities that are gauged against the ultimate of their respective qualities.”

“That sounds perfectly logical to me. Oh…pardon the pun, sir.” Here I was, the most boring person in the whole wide world, actually having a little fun myself.

Then I realized that I was thinking in degrees of perfection. I was referring to myself as the most boring person, as opposed to an entertaining person. And I was thinking of having a little fun, which is less than a lot of fun.

“Now, we have to think a little deeper. We’ve been discussing degrees of perfection. Somewhere there must be a most perfect color blue and somewhere there must be the brightest white. Someone must possess the greatest amount of goodness and there has to be someone whose face is the most beautiful face of all faces. But can those perfections be found? We know that for every perfect color found, we will eventually discover an even more perfect color. For every beautiful face, we will someday find an even more beautiful face. How can we solve our problem and determine the most perfect of all those qualities?”

“I’m lost, sir. Do you have an answer? Oh, what am I saying? You always have an answer.”

“Great people have studied this problem. They have, in fact, uncovered the answer to the most perfect quality. Are you ready?”

“I’m on the edge of my seat, sir. What is it?”

“The universe and all that is within it is made up of material objects. There can never be an ultimate best in material objects because there will always be a better quality found at a later date. There also cannot be a most perfect trait in the universe because there will always be an even more perfect trait show up at some point in the future.

“There must be a most perfect of qualities by which all qualities are judged. This most perfect of all qualities is the most perfect. However, the most perfect cannot be a part of this universe.

“The most perfect that possesses the most perfect of all aspects and all traits must be outside of all that is. The most perfect cannot be the universe or a part of the universe. The most perfect being cannot be of material substance. The most perfect must exist in and of itself. In order for the most perfect to exist in and of itself, the most perfect must be the most perfect being. This most perfect being must be perfect in its own self and judged by its own self. This most perfect being; this perfect one—is God.”

I was flabbergasted. This stranger could really make a case. And every time, he did it without any written reference material. How did he do it?

“That certainly is thought provoking, isn’t it, friend? So far we have proven that God is the Unmoved Mover, the Uncaused Cause, the Necessary One, and now the Perfect One. That’s not bad for a couple of average Joes, is it?”

“Sir, you are too modest.”

“Friend, I couldn’t have done it without you.”

I raised my coffee cup to my lips and discovered that it was empty. Time was running out, so I told him that I needed to leave. He wished me well and told me that he was going to stay awhile and have some more coffee. I excused myself and walked out the door.

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Eight

This excerpt is from the eighth chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Intelligent Designer

On Wednesday, just as I was about to go through the coffee shop door, I heard a voice coming from the courtyard. It was the stranger saying, “I’m out here, friend. It’s such a pretty day, why don’t we sit outside?”

That wasn’t my pattern, but conversing with this stranger for the past several days wasn’t my pattern either. “Sure,” I said. “I’ll be back as soon as I get my coffee.”

With coffee and bagel in hand, I went back outside and sat down. It was a little bit windy and my napkin started drifting across the table. Quickly, I reached out and grabbed the napkin just before it fell into the stranger’s lap. As I was about to retract my hand, he noticed a scar on my finger. “I hope you don’t think I’m being nosy, but I see that you have quite a scar on your finger. Do you mind telling me what happened to your finger?”

I thought, Do I think he’s nosy? I almost snickered. This guy had decided to be my friend without any encouragement on my part. Now, he was looking out for my health. Is he nosy? You bet he is.

Looking down to see what he was referring to, I saw the scar. I had nearly forgotten about the injury. “Oh, that. A couple of months ago, while repairing my gas grill, my hand slipped against a sharp component of the grill. It nearly cut my finger to the bone.”

“Did you go to the doctor?”

“No, I’m not into that medical stuff. Doctors and dentists scare me to death. I would rather take a beating than to go to a doctor.”

“But you said you were cut to the bone. To me, that sounds serious enough to require medical attention. At the very least, you needed a tetanus shot.”

“Probably so, but I did my own doctoring. I looked in my bathroom cabinets and found antiseptics and butterfly bandages. Then I closed up the wound and gave it time to heal. I don’t think it looks any different than it would have if a doctor had taken care of it. There were other nosy people who were also chiding me for not seeing a doctor, too.” Uh-oh. I just had a slip of the tongue. Telling a little white lie I continued, “Oh, I’m sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to imply that you were being nosy.

With a broad smile on his face he said, “No offense taken.”

“Well, sir, like you, they were acting concerned and suggesting that I could end up with a dangerous infection or a horrible-looking scar. But here I am, healthy and whole.”

“Thank goodness for that,” he said. “It sure is nice that your body is capable of healing itself of so many potentially dangerous infections and diseases. Your body is an amazing self-healing machine, isn’t it?”

Before I could open my mouth to answer he continued, “You closed up the wound with a bandage and then watched as your body knitted the wound back together. Have you ever considered just how proactive your body is in destroying potentially life-threatening attacks? Do you realize that this activity goes on continuously: minute by minute and day by day?”

“No, I haven’t given it much thought.”

“Exactly,” he said. “There are literally hundreds and thousands of potential disease and infection attacks on your body every day. If you had to think about a response to each and every one of those attacks, you wouldn’t have time for doing anything else. Your body is designed to keep itself healthy with little or no conscious thought on your part. Just think of the contaminants in the air you breathe. And then, nearly every time you put something in your mouth, you are also swallowing innumerable bacteria that would just love to ravage your body. Thankfully, the various defense mechanisms in your body just automatically identify, attack, and destroy all of those harmful intruders.”

“Interesting,” I replied. “I wish my computer was that efficient. I’m always dealing with a computer virus.”

“Yes, friend, as smart as computers are, they don’t stand a chance against the complexities and abilities of the human mind and the human body.”

“Perhaps so, sir.”

“Now, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t see a doctor. A doctor, along with the medicine he gives you, assists your body in healing itself, sometimes at a much faster rate. The medical world has done wonders in eliminating many serious diseases.”

“I suppose you’re right, sir. There certainly does seem to be a lot more disease in third-world countries than there is here at home.”

“Yes, we have a lot to be thankful for. Speaking of disease and sickness, have you ever wondered why they say there is no cure for the common cold?”

“Come to think about it, that certainly is strange. They can just about eliminate polio from the face of the planet, but they can’t do much about a simple thing like the common cold.”

“Well, friend, I don’t know if it’s true or not, but I’ve heard that the common cold may never be eliminated.”

“That’s interesting. I’ve got a feeling that you’re getting ready to tell me why. I’m eaten up with suspense, sir. Let’s hear it.”

“From what I hear, the common cold is the body’s way of cleaning house.”

“That makes no sense to me, sir.”

“Think about it for a second. You vacuum a carpet, because over time the carpet accumulates dirt, dust, pet hair, and everything else you can imagine. Your vacuum cleaner removes all the dirt for you. However, if you don’t empty the bag, the vacuum cleaner will eventually lose suction and quit cleaning the carpet. Likewise, I’ve heard some people claim that your body also cleans house. The contaminants you breathe and swallow need to exit the body in some way or another. If they can’t be expelled properly and quickly, your body will give you what is known as the common cold. For two or three days you cough, sneeze, and blow your nose. Could it be that your body has just cleaned out its vacuum cleaner bag? I don’t know, but it sounds logical to me.”

“Sounds far fetched to me, but who knows, maybe it’s true.”

“And then, there’s the fever. There are those who say that your body develops a fever to burn out and destroy harmful organisms in your body. I’m not a doctor, but that sounds reasonable also.”

“Are we having all of this discussion because I’ve got a scar on my finger?” I asked.

“Yep, you’re right,” he said. “Whether the common cold theory or the fever theory is true or not, it’s still true that your body is an amazing healing machine. Wouldn’t you agree with that?”

Wearily, I agreed.

Without any sign of slowing down, he continued, “Your body is one complex organism, doing many things at once with little or no conscious effort on your part, right?”

Before I had a chance to respond, he continued, “Your body is one single biological unit, but on closer examination a person would have to admit that the human body is able to function only because many organs and other body parts are working in cooperation and in unison with each other. While the heart’s only function is to pump blood, it depends on signals from the brain to determine the rate of its pumping action. Even though the heart has no direct contact with the kidneys, it must supply blood to the kidneys so that they might do their own function for the health of the body. If the heart failed to supply blood to the kidneys, the kidneys would fail to do their part. If the kidneys failed to do their part, the heart would ultimately fail. So the kidneys are dependent on the heart, but the heart is dependent on the kidneys. It gets confusing doesn’t it?”

As usual, he had my mind going in circles. It seemed as though every subject he talked about gradually went to the impossible premise that everything is dependent on something else.

“Think about your vision,” he said. “You don’t even think about the effort involved in order to cause your eyes to function properly so that you can enjoy looking at nature. Your brain tells your eyes to focus on your cup of coffee. Then in an instant, when you decide to look up at a tree, your brain instructs your eyes to change shape and focus on the tree. Like your body, your eyes are made up of many intricate mechanisms that all work together in an intelligent manner so that you might be able to see the tree.” Without missing a beat he continued, “Your body is an amazing biological machine. Your body is made up of many interconnected, dependent organs. The organs are made up of specialized tissues and cells. The cells are made up of molecules, and the molecules are made up of atoms. Each and every step we take toward the most basic parts of our bodies, we find materials that are working together in an efficient and intelligent manner for the good of the greater.”

“I didn’t know I was meeting you this morning for a biology lesson,” I said.

“Well, with me you never know, do you? It appears that the wonders of your body can prove that there is a God.”

Here we go again, I thought.

He continued, “The way your body works and the way every part of your body works together can only be accomplished by an intelligent order. Like the relationship between the heart and the kidneys, if any interdependent part of an organ fails to do its part, other parts, and the body as a whole, will suffer. The only way such interdependence can exist is by way of intelligent design. Design doesn’t just happen by chance. Design is the product of a designer.

“The universe and everything in it operates the way it does because of its design. Since everything in the universe is dependent upon something else in some way or another, there must be intelligent design.

“This intelligent design cannot be a part of the universe because the entire universe operates as a result of intelligent design. There must be something that is not a part of the universe that intelligently designs all that is within the universe. There must be something that is designed in and of itself and requires no outside influence for its own intelligent design.”

He stopped and sat back in his chair for what seemed like an eternity. The ensuing silence allowed my mind to consider his latest statements. I could not deny the fact that the components of the universe seem to have the uncanny ability of working together as if they were designed to do so. Although I didn’t have any strong feelings regarding the existence of God, his argument certainly did cause me to wonder about the possibility of some sort of intelligent design. I didn’t have anything more to add, so I just waited for his next words.

Presently, he said, “There must be a non-designed intelligent designer. This non-designed designer must be designed in and of itself. It cannot be designed by any other outside influence. There must be an Intelligent Designer of this universe and all that is in it. The Intelligent Designer is God.”

He had done it again. It seemed that every time he came to one of his deep and mysterious conclusions, he would break out in a great big smile as if he was patting himself on the back for how smart he was.

“You make a good argument,” I said. “I don’t know if I’m more intrigued with the subject matter of your arguments or your techniques for building a case.”

“I take that as a compliment,” he said. “You are very kind.”

I hadn’t made up my own mind if I was being kind to him or not. How many days was I going to have to listen to this stranger? I really liked the coffee shop and I didn’t want to try out a new one, but it seemed that as long as I continued to frequent this particular shop, I was going to have to deal with him.

Time was beginning to slip by and I needed to leave for work. I told him that his intelligent designer argument was somewhat interesting, but not interesting enough to sway my opinion one way or another.

Unaffected by my candor, he smiled at me and continued drinking his coffee. I didn’t know if I could ever hurt his feelings. My remarks just seemed to go right past him as if I hadn’t said a word. As a matter of fact, he seemed to get friendlier than ever before.

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Nine

This excerpt is from the ninth chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Greater

Like clockwork, I showed up at the coffee shop on Thursday at my usual time. Like clockwork, the stranger was there too. What more could he find to talk about? Not to worry, I was sure he had plenty more material to try out on me.

I was in a big rush on this particular day. An early appointment was on my mind. My boss had instructed me to meet with him before I did anything else. He didn’t tell me what the meeting was about; he just said to be there. I didn’t do well with changes in my pattern, but deal with it, I must.

I must have been squirming in my seat because he said, “You look like you’re in a hurry this morning.”

“Yes, sir, I am. I’ve got an early meeting scheduled today. I’m sorry, but I can’t stay long. I guess I won’t be able to hear another of your proofs that God exists. I’ve got to drink my coffee quickly and run. I’m sorry, sir.”

“I understand,” he said. “It’s important to take care of business.” Hesitating, he said, “I was really looking forward to another discussion on the proofs of God.”

“It doesn’t look like it’ll work out for today…unless you’ve got a really short one.”

“Actually, I think I do. Maybe five minutes’ worth.”

There I went again. I had given a reason for not wanting to listen to him, and he had an answer to my objection. “Okay. It’ll take that long to drink this hot coffee anyway. Go ahead, sir.”

“I’ll get right to the point, my friend. I know you haven’t made up your mind if there is a God or not. However, for argument’s sake let’s consider the concept of God. In your mind, could you imagine anything, or any being that would be greater than God?”

“No, I cannot. If there actually is a God, there couldn’t be a greater being. If there were, then he wouldn’t be God.”

“So, my friend, it looks like you’re admitting that the concept of God can and does exist in your mind. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir, the concept of God exists in my mind.”

“And even though you personally haven’t made up your mind about it, could he actually exist in reality?”

“We are exploring all options anyway. Yes, God could exist both in my mind and in reality. Now, sir, that doesn’t mean to imply that I think he really does exist.”

“I understand, my friend. Okay, now suppose that he exists in your mind, but not in reality. Then, my friend, a greater than God could be thought.”

“Why is that, sir?”

“Because a God existing in reality is greater than a God existing only in your mind. Am I correct in that assumption?”

This guy was really good at throwing out statements and questions that required a lot of thought before answering. I considered his proposal. We had agreed that when considering the concept of God, one must determine that a greater than God could not be thought. He threw a monkey wrench in my thinking when he suggested that we assume that God exists in our minds but not in reality. In such a case, there would be a violation against our concept of God, because it would then be possible to think of a God existing in reality, even though he actually does not exist in reality.

“Sir, I believe there is a problem with your last statement. We’ve already determined that a greater than God cannot be thought. An assumption that he does not actually exist in reality would go against our concept of God.”

“Friend, I believe you are on to something. I guess it would be impossible for God to exist only in our minds. We have already determined that it would be impossible to think of anything greater than God. If God existed only in our minds, we would be able to imagine that God also exists in reality. Imagining a God who exists in reality would be imagining a God who is greater than a God who just exists in our minds. Friend, do you know what we have just done?”

“No, sir, I don’t. What have we just done?”

“We have just proven that God must exist in both our minds and in reality.”

“How do you do this, sir?”

“It’s not me, my friend. We did this together. We used our own thoughts, wisdom, and deductive powers to prove that God exists. That grey matter between our ears has been hard at work.”

“Let me get this straight. If I can imagine the concept of a God in which nothing is greater, then by default, he must also exist in reality. Is that what you’re saying?”

“It’s not just me, friend. You and I are both saying that.”

“Don’t put me in the God-believing camp just yet, sir. For such a short session, you have given me a lot to chew on. I am not one to make fast decisions. I like to look at everything from every possible angle. Sir, there are a lot of angles to the things we have been discussing. If and when we actually prove without a doubt that God exists, I will be the first to embrace that concept.”

I looked at my watch and realized that the meeting with my boss was quickly approaching. I slid my chair back and stood up. “Sir, I’m sorry for leaving so quickly, but I’ve got to get to my meeting. Although you may believe that God exists both in your mind and in reality, I know for a fact that my boss exists both in my mind and in reality. If I don’t get to that meeting on time, my job may no longer be a reality. ”

Chuckling, he said, “All right, my friend. Business is business. I hope it is a good and profitable meeting. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Ten

This excerpt is from the tenth chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Parting

I rushed to work and hurriedly parked my car. I knocked at my boss’ office door and said, “Good morning, sir.” Did you wish to see me?” My face reddened. Why did I ask that? I knew he wanted to see me, and he knew that I knew that he wanted to see me. The last thing he told me the day before was that he wanted to see me. “I’m sorry, sir. I knew you wanted to see me. I’m just a little flustered this morning.”

“Sit down,” he said while motioning toward a chair. “We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

As I nervously found my seat, I wondered, What could this be? Surely, I’m not in trouble. I’m the most trustworthy employee he’s got. All of my reports and assignments have been complete and on time. What else could it be? The reddening in my face began to be replaced by an ashen white, caused by the intense fear that gripped me. I’m being fired, I thought. What will I do? Where will I go? This is the only job I’ve ever had.

Interrupting my racing thoughts he said, “Bill, you may have heard that we’re starting a new office on the East Coast.”

With a stammering voice I answered, “Yes, sir, it’s been rumored about for some time now.”

“Well, Bill, you are my most trusted employee. I want you to go to the new site, get it set up, and running.”

I wasn’t in trouble. What a relief. Color began to come back into my face. My shaking hands began to stop quivering. I relaxed a little and repositioned myself in my seat.

“I don’t know how long it will take, Bill, but I would guess a couple of months—four at the most. What do you think?”

Four months? I thought. Good grief. I don’t like living out of a suitcase.

Lying, I said, “Sir, I am honored that you would consider me. I will do my best. The good of the company comes first.”

“Great, Bill. I knew you would be a team player. As a matter of fact, I’ve already arranged for your flight. You’re leaving at nine o’clock in the morning.”

What a price to be a team player, I thought. “Sir, that’s not much notice.”

“I know, Bill. I really am sorry, but this thing came together quicker than I anticipated. But, I know you will be able to pull it off.”

“Okay. I’ll be on the plane.”

“Thanks, Bill. I’m depending on you to make us shine. Good luck.”

I didn’t share his enthusiasm as I left the office, but I didn’t let him know about it. I went home and began packing my bags. Just before going to bed, I noticed the notes I had been making after each meeting with the stranger. At the last moment, I threw the notes in my suitcase. Four months is a long time. I figured that I might as well go over those notes and see if they can make any more sense to me.

On Friday morning, I got up a little earlier than usual. I figured I might as well have one last cup of coffee at my favorite coffee shop. I knew that by coming early, I would miss the stranger, but we weren’t exactly buddies anyway. He would just have to get over it. Besides that, we hadn’t even exchanged names.

After arriving at the coffee shop I ordered my coffee and sat down by the door. I wanted to take in all of the familiar sites of home before leaving. I had no more than taken my first sip of coffee than who walked in the door, but the stranger.

“Hello, friend. You’re here early today.”

I was surprised to see him at the coffee shop this early in the morning. “Yes I am,” I said.

Since he was there, I decided that I might as well explain what was going on and why I wouldn’t be back at the coffee shop for a while. “Sir, I’m afraid our conversations must come to an end.”

“Friend, have I offended you? If I have, I would like to make things right.”

“Oh no, you haven’t offended me. I honestly can’t say that I have been enthused about your proofs that God exists, but you may be delighted to know that I have taken notes on every one of them. Actually, sir, my boss surprised me yesterday with the news that I must leave town on business for an extended period of time.”

“Oh, was that the important meeting you had to get to?”

“Yes, sir, it was. I really don’t know when I will be back. Sir, I can’t say that you’ve convinced me to believe that God exists, but I plan to examine my notes a little closer while I am gone. Whenever I do make it back home, perhaps we could continue our conversations. Do you live nearby?”

“No, friend, I don’t actually live here. I’m just passing through.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” I replied. “It looks like we may never meet again.”

“Don’t worry about it, my friend. I’ve enjoyed the conversations we’ve had together. I just hope you have enjoyed my company as much as I’ve enjoyed yours.”

I didn’t understand how he could consider me to be a good conversationalist. I mainly just listened to him and answered his questions. You meet all kinds of people during your life. This guy was one of those that causes you to scratch your head.

I couldn’t be as enthusiastic as he was, but I tried to be cordial. I wished him well and got up to leave the coffee shop.

He embarrassed me when he also got up and gave me a massive bear hug. “Take care,” he said. “You’ve been a joy to talk to.” I nervously glanced about the room to see what the other patrons thought about me getting a lingering hug from the stranger. I was relieved to see that they didn’t give us any glaring looks of surprise.

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Eleven

The Revelation

This excerpt is from the eleventh chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

I looked over my notes during the first few days at the new job site. I had a bad habit of being too detail oriented. Not only had I entered all of my notes on my laptop computer, but I had even titled my notes as if I was writing a book. Sitting there on my nightstand was a neatly stapled stack of notes entitled Conversations with a Stranger. Sometimes I had to shake my head at myself when wondering why I did the things I did.

His assumptions and conclusions regarding the existence of God did seem to make a lot of sense. And they could be quite convincing to someone who was not as analytical as I was. But he was not dealing with the average Joe. He was dealing with me. Still not convinced, I put the notes back in my suitcase.

Days came and went. Each time I left the motel room, I would notice a Bible on the lamp stand by the door. One evening, finding myself rather bored, I glanced over at the Bible. It caused me to think about my conversations with the stranger. He had said that his proofs were not actually his own proofs. Instead, they were the products of great men from the past. Not once had he mentioned a proof from the Bible. That struck me as odd. Normally, Christian fanatics point to the Bible to back up and prove virtually everything they are promoting. Was that stranger one of those Christian fanatics? If so, why didn’t he refer to the Bible? If not, why did he care about proving God’s existence? I was beginning to wonder about the stranger. He didn’t seem to fit either category.

I decided that since I was stuck in a motel room for no telling how long, I might as well read the Bible. It would be interesting to see what it had to say about God and His existence.

I tackled my Bible reading just like everything else I did. I read it from cover to cover; frontward and backward. I even went so far as to make my own flash cards. Starting with page number one, I began reading and taking notes. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. I ended up being gone from home a little more than four months. During that time I had amassed many notes taken from that motel Bible. Although the Bible was interesting indeed, I was not able to find any absolute proof of God’s existence in the Bible.

One night before going to bed, I labored over my notes one more time. I just couldn’t find anything to point to and definitively state that I had finally proven that God exists. I went to bed that night thinking about my quest. My mind drifted to all of the Bible characters who claimed to know God. It seemed as though they had a certain peace and stability about them. It seemed as though they had a purpose that defined their lives.

Before going to sleep, I murmured to myself, I don’t know if God exists but if he does, I sure would like to know him the way those people did. Finally, a fitful sleep overtook me. I tossed and turned for hours. Suddenly, I woke up and bolted to a sitting position. Had I heard a knock at the door? I raced to the window and looked outside. No, it wasn’t anyone at the door. I went back and sat down on the edge of the bed. My heart was pounding and my mind was racing. I had been awakened by my own thoughts. I can’t say how it happened, but a common theme from my Bible notes was playing itself out in my mind over and over again. I tried going back to bed, but I couldn’t clear my mind.

Finally, I got out of bed, turned on my light, and began typing furiously on my laptop computer. By morning I was exhausted, but satisfied. Out of the hundreds of pages in the Bible, the truth of God’s existence along with His plan for me was staring me in the face. How could I have missed it all those years?

A week later, I wrapped up business on the out-of-town project and arranged to go back home.

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

CWAS Excerpt Number Twelve

This excerpt is from the twelfth chapter of Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate

The Light

On the first morning back home I returned to my favorite coffee shop. The person behind the counter did a double take and said, “Where have you been? I thought you had left us.”
“I just had to leave town for an extended business trip. I’m back now…for good, I hope.”
“I’m trying to remember; you’re a black coffee and bagel man, right?”
“Yes, you’re right.”
“Here you are. Have one on the house and welcome back.”
“Thanks,” I said as I headed off for my favorite table. Then I stopped in mid stride. I no longer desired to be in a dark corner of the coffee shop by myself. Spinning on my feet, I headed toward a table near a window.
This time, instead of just drinking my coffee and staring off into space, I found myself busily reading over my Bible notes. This was a refreshing change to my routine. In the past, I usually nursed my coffee while dreading the long day of work ahead of me. This time, I felt energized. I even caught myself locking eyes with other people and smiling at them.
While engrossed in my reading I heard a strangely familiar voice ordering coffee at the counter. Surely not, I thought. The stranger told me he was just passing through. What would he be doing here four months later?
I turned around, saw that he had already discovered me, and was making his way to my table. From thirty feet away he hollered out, “Good morning, friend. It certainly is nice to see you again. How was your trip? Did you have a good time?”
“The trip was good,” I said. “It can be a little rough living in a motel room, but I made it safe and sound. Sir, I thought you were just passing through. I’m surprised to see you here this morning.”
“Oh, you never know about me,” he chuckled. “I could turn up just about anywhere and at any time.”
We talked for half an hour about my job and various other subjects. Eventually he said, “Since we’ve crossed paths again, would you like to take up where we left off? I’ve found more proofs that God exists. The last time we talked, you still weren’t convinced that God actually exists.”
Not being one to mince words I answered, “No, sir, I don’t.”
There was a bit of surprise in his face. After a moment of silence he asked, “Have I offended you, friend?”
“No, sir, you haven’t. I’m sorry that I sounded so blunt. Please forgive me, sir, and let me explain.”
With a look of relief, he said, “Whew. Thank goodness. You had me worried for a minute. Please continue, friend.”
“Sir, if you remember, I made notes on all of your proofs. I took those notes with me on my trip with the intention of reading them a little closer. They made a certain amount of sense, but they just didn’t go far enough to convince me that there is, in fact, a God. I was able to find objections to just about all of your proofs.”
“Friend, they are not my proofs. If you remember, I told you that the proofs were from some great religious thinkers.”
“Again, I am sorry, sir. I didn’t mean to imply that they were your own proofs. Sometimes I am just a little too blunt. However, my point is that the proofs are not one hundred percent water tight.”
“Friend, I thought you might say that. I was expecting such a response from you. Even though it is possible to voice legitimate objections to each and every proof, you might consider that when taken as a group, the proofs can weigh mightily toward ultimately proving the existence of God.”
“Your point is well taken, sir, but when you add it all up, everything you’ve told me is merely an accumulation of theories developed by men.”
“I’ll give you that, my friend. They are theories indeed. But theories can be very convincing. A theory is based on certain assumptions that cannot be one hundred percent proven or validated. But in spite of that, we benefit from theories every day. We have real, material things in our lives as a result of the application of theories. Even though theories are not one hundred percent provable, they help us to have better lives. So friend, is it really such a leap for you to believe these theories on God’s existence?”
“Sir, you make a strong case for everything you say. But if you don’t mind, I would like to be the teacher today. I am not as eloquent as you, but if you would bear with me, I believe I have something of importance to relate to you.”
He looked at me with a little uncertainty in his face. Then after recovering he said, “Be my guest, friend. You certainly were attentive when I was the one doing the teaching. I’m anxious to hear what you have to say.”
I swallowed hard and began, “Sir, I studied and considered all of your proofs. After a few days though, I gave up on finding an absolute proof of God’s existence. Then one day I noticed a Bible in my room. I realized that you had exclusively promoted the thoughts and ideas of intelligent men, but not once had you referenced anything from the Bible, which is considered by many to be the Word of God. I decided to read the Bible and see if anything might stand out on its pages and convince me of the existence of God.”
He hesitated for a few seconds. Then with a weak voice he said, “Okay, friend, what was your conclusion?”
“I read the Bible from cover to cover, making notes as I went. One night, I woke up with a sudden realization…no I woke up with a sudden revelation of God’s existence.”
He sat up straight in his chair and said, “This I’ve got to hear. Please, friend, tell me what you discovered.”
I continued, “I’m warning you, sir, it’s not going to be the kind of proofs you may be expecting to hear from me. I doubt that you would even call them proofs at all. There were several passages of scripture that stuck with me. I’ll share a couple of them with you. There was one in which the disciple named Thomas said he would not believe that Jesus was raised from the dead unless he first saw Jesus with his own eyes. Eventually when Jesus appeared to him Thomas finally did believe, and he called Jesus his Lord and God. However, it doesn’t appear to me that that Jesus was pleased with Thomas’ doubt. Jesus more or less chided Thomas for requiring an absolute proof before he would believe. Jesus said that the ones who believe in Him without having to see Him are the ones who are truly blessed. This chastisement made me think of my own situation. I had wanted undeniable proof before I would believe that there is a God. But Jesus just wants me to simply believe in Him, and He wants me to simply accept Him in my heart.”
“Are you sure about that?” asked the stranger. “I have been giving you strong proofs, which you have not accepted. Then while you were gone, you decided to accept a concept that is nowhere near a proof?”
“Yes, sir, I am sure. Another scripture speaks about a time when Jesus’ disciples attempted to keep little children from pestering Him. Jesus rebuked the disciples and said that whoever doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God as a little child, the same shall not be permitted to enter into His Kingdom. This passage caused me to recall that a child doesn’t normally question his father’s authority. The child trusts his father and he blindly accepts what his father says as truth. God’s Word tells us that He exists. We are expected to accept God’s existence by faith, not by proof. We are not a judge and jury who must be presented a proof of his existence. He tells us that He exists. That’s all we need to know. We are to trust what He tells us just as a child trusts his father.”
The stranger just sat there, staring at me. I didn’t know if he was mad or embarrassed or just speechless.
I was on a roll, so I continued saying, “Over and over again, the Bible instructs us on one primary theme—that we are to simply believe in Him. We don’t need proof; we don’t need intelligent men to show Him to us; we don’t need to see him face to face. Sir, we are to believe in Him and accept Him into our lives. Sir, while I was away, my life changed. I came to be a believer in God. I didn’t become a believer because of your proofs. Instead, I became a believer because I simply made up my mind to be a believer. Sir, I have accepted Christ into my life. I am a new person.”
Still, he sat in silence. I couldn’t read his face. For all I knew, he might have been getting ready to reach across the table and hit me.
I went on, “Sir, please understand that I am not trying to ridicule you. I think your heart may be in the right place, but I believe that you are putting too much emphasis on the knowledge and intelligence of men. Sir, I suspect that you are not much different than I was. It looks to me like you decided to believe that God exists, only because of proofs that men have developed. I suspect that you believe, only so long as you have been provided a definitive proof of God’s existence. I am reminded of passages in the Bible that tell us that the wisdom of this world is as foolishness with God. Not once did you speak to me of anything that is written in God’s Word. You only spoke from the vantage point of man’s wisdom. As intelligent as some men are, they cannot begin to comprehend the nature of God. Now, sir, there is nothing wrong with using man’s wisdom and knowledge—nothing whatsoever. Man’s wisdom and knowledge is good, up to the limits placed on him by God. But in the end, regardless of man’s knowledge, a person must make the decision to simply believe in God and accept Him by faith.”
The stranger may as well have been a statue. He sat rigidly in his chair. His eyes didn’t move. His face didn’t change. He never even touched his coffee.
Swallowing hard, I continued, “I can’t really put my finger on it, sir. But that’s the beauty of accepting Christ. He wants us to accept him by faith, not by fact. If he expected us to accept him only after absolute facts were presented to us, he would have made us like mindless little toy soldiers. He would have programmed us to believe that he is the master and maker of all that is and that we are to believe in him and accept him because he told us to, and we have no other choice in the matter.”
Silence was the only thing coming from the other side of the table.
I was in too deep to back out so I continued, “You, sir, have based your own belief that God exists on man’s wisdom and knowledge. I am not suggesting that the theories you presented to me are wrong. I am not suggesting that those great thinkers are wrong. As a matter of fact, I believe those men were great men of God. I am not suggesting that man’s knowledge and wisdom shouldn’t be taught. What I am suggesting is that belief in God should have its roots in the Word of God. Then and only then, man’s wisdom can be presented as a supplement to God’s Word. Then, after you have accepted Him, you should turn around and tell others about Him, using God’s Word as the basis, and man’s wisdom as a supplement.”
Breaking his silence, he said, “You’ve certainly developed quite an opinion.”
“Yes, sir, I have. I have determined that the central theme of God’s Word is that you are to make the decision within your heart to believe in God. After you accept Jesus into your heart by faith, you will receive salvation. He made you with a free will. He wants you to use your own free will to choose to believe in him. He wants you to accept him unconditionally. He doesn’t want you to attempt to prove that He exists by way of man’s wisdom and intelligence. No, sir, he wants you to accept him by faith.”
Appearing to be somewhat humbled he said, “Do you have any more to say, my friend?”
“Yes, sir, I do. Sir, you believe there is a God. I believe in God.”
“Well, friend, it sounds like we both believe the same thing.”
“Respectfully, sir, I don’t believe we do. Even the devils believe there is a God. Sir, you only believe with your mind that God exists. On the other hand, I believe in God. I believe with my heart. Sir, please don’t take offense at this, but I suspect that your belief is rejected by God, while my belief is accepted by God.”
“Friend, now you’re going out a limb. Do you have an explanation for that last statement?”
“I’ll try, sir. When a person merely believes something, they only passively believe. But, when a person believes in something, they actively believe.”
“Is there a difference, my friend?”
“Sir, when people believe in something, they become actively involved in their belief. They join forces with others of like belief. They promote their belief. They sell their belief. They defend their belief. They are activists. Suppose that we have an elected leader who is suspected of being involved in corruption. Anyone can believe that the corrupt leader should be removed from office. But activists take their belief to the next level. They organize, they march, they take their belief to the streets, and they make their voices heard. Things may get so far out of hand that the government is forced to bring in law enforcement personnel to maintain peace and civility. Due to belief with action behind it, the leader is likely to be removed from office. Passive believers don’t get anything done. Active believers advance their cause. Sir, you passively believe, but you’re not actually promoting the Kingdom of God. All you have done is tell me that God exists from an academic point of view. Back in Jesus’ day, most of the Pharisees, priests, and other Jewish religious rulers did not accept Jesus Christ. However, there were certain ones among them who actually did believe that He was the Son of God. However, they so enjoyed being praised by the people, that they would not openly admit that they believed in Christ. Sir, I believe they were passive believers, just as you are. Jesus tells us that there is no way to get into the Kingdom of God except through Him. Sir, God is love, first and foremost. We cannot see love and we cannot touch love. We can only feel love. God’s love is all around us and in us. We don’t need to see God to know He exists. We only need to experience his love for us. Then we will know He exists.”
“Friend, you are definitely frank and to the point.”
“Believe me, sir, I am telling you this with utmost humility. I would like to suggest that you do what I did. I realized that Jesus became the Sacrificial Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. You, sir, need to believe in Him and accept Him into your own heart. When you do, you, too, will be a changed person. God will live within you. He will be a part of your very being.”
“You have certainly stated your case with conviction. Friend, I am impressed. You’ve become a different person since I last saw you.”
“Yes, sir, I have. Sir, may I ask one last thing?”
“I’m afraid to say yes after the beating I just received from you, but go ahead.”
“Sir, I have two requests to make. First, I would like to formally ask you to accept Jesus into your heart and become one of his followers. Secondly, I would like for you and I to become friends. Do you realize that we have never been formally introduced to each other? My name is Bill. May I ask yours?”
His face began glowing. I thought I had embarrassed him. Was it because I told him his teachings were wrong, or was it because he had never asked my name? But then, I realized that his face was not turning red. Instead, his face was turning white. I wondered if he was about to faint. No, he couldn’t be about to faint. If he were, he would be taking on a somewhat ashen appearance. Instead, he seemed to be glistening in the brightest and whitest hue I had ever seen. Whiter and brighter he became, so bright I had to start shielding my eyes. Not just his face, but his whole body, clothing and all were glowing. The whole room was bright. I could never have imagined a brighter or a whiter white. I was in such a shock I couldn’t find any words to say. I may as well have had cotton in my mouth. Then I began to notice scars about his forehead, and horrible gashes in his hands.
Eventually it came to me that sitting right in front of me was none other than Jesus Christ himself. After an eternity of moments I managed to find the strength to speak, “Jesus, is that you?”
“It is I, my friend. I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”
After another long and painful silence, I asked, “Lord, was it you who met with me all of those mornings right here in this coffee shop?”
“Yes, my friend. It was I.”
“And Lord, was it you who explained to me all of those proofs of God’s existence?”
“Yes, my friend. It was me.”
“I feel terrible, Lord. I just got through correcting you, and yet you sat there and listened to me. Lord, why didn’t you reveal yourself to me on the very first day? Why did we have to go through all of those conversations? Lord, I was never convinced by those proofs. I finally became convinced when I searched for you in the Word of God. What if I had never picked up a Bible and searched for more?”
“Friend, I only answer that which has been asked. On the very first day, you said that no person had ever given you an absolute proof of God’s existence. You said that you would believe only if someone could furnish you with undeniable facts.”
“Yes, Lord. So why didn’t you show yourself to me?”
“I answered the questions you asked. You wanted man’s ideas. I gave you man’s ideas. You were not really seeking me. You were merely looking for a scientific proof that I existed. Had you told me that you were seeking God and wanted to know God, I would have answered you differently. You now know me because you blindly accepted me, just as would a child.”
I was astonished at my foolishness. The Maker of all things had been sitting at my table day after day after day. But I was not able to know him as long I attempted to understand him using the knowledge and wisdom of mankind. It was only after I accepted him by faith that I actually came to know him.
As quickly as he had begun glowing, he started fading from my sight. With fear gripping me, I said, “Lord, where are you going? Are you leaving me, just at the very moment I found you?”
Still fading, he replied, “Friend, you didn’t find me today.”
Confused and trembling I said, “Lord, it was just a few minutes ago that you appeared to me.”
“Friend, I appeared to you a few minutes ago, but you found me back in that motel room. Now, I must go. There are others who are seeking me.”
“But, Lord, please don’t leave me now. I have so many questions. What about rules and regulations? How am I to know what I should and should not do? How do I know how to live my life?”
I was struggling to see him. I could just barely make out his image as he answered, “Now that you have accepted me in your life, I live within you. I am a part of your very being. So long as you love me and love your neighbor, you will have me with you as your guide. When you truly live for me, when you have me living within you, you will have no trouble knowing how to obey my laws. You will know within your heart if a thing is right or wrong; you will know instinctively what you must do. Tell me, friend, do you have to hold on to anything in order to keep yourself from floating out of your chair and up into the sky?”
“No, Lord, I stay on the ground because of the law of gravity.”
“That’s right, my friend. You are obeying the law of gravity right now, not because you are obeying written rules, but because you are an integral part of this earth’s system and its physical laws. If you were to ride in a rocket ship out into the vast reaches of space, you would no longer be bound by earth’s gravitational laws. You would be free of the law of gravity and you would float about in space. Likewise, as long as you are truly in the Kingdom of God, you will obey my laws. Do you remember the story of Peter walking on the water?”
“Yes, Lord.”
“As long as Peter kept his eyes on me, he had the power to walk on water just as I did. It was only when he took his eyes off of me and focused his eyes on all that was around him that he began to sink into the sea. Just as Peter had the power to walk on water, you have the power to obey my laws. All you have to do is keep your eyes and your heart focused on me. It is only when you take your eyes off of me that you will begin to disobey my laws. Keep your eyes and your devotion on me and you won’t have to wonder about whether or not you are doing the right thing.”
“But, Lord, I want you to be close to me.”
“Even though you won’t see me, I will be closer than a brother to you.”
Then he was gone. His chair was empty. The room lost its brightness. It must have been fifteen minutes before I managed to struggle out of my chair. I stumbled up to the store manager and asked, “What did you think about that?”
He answered, “What did I think about what?”
“The brightness in the room, the man at my table who just disappeared.”
“I saw nothing unusual. No one disappeared. What exactly are you talking about?”
“Are you telling me you saw nothing unusual just now?’
“No, sir, I did not. I’ve been here all morning and nothing out of the ordinary has happened.”
“What about the man I have been talking to for days on end? What did you think about him?”
“Sir, you have been a good customer. However, lately you have been acting a bit strange. You always come in alone and you leave alone, but lately you have acted as if you were with someone. The funny thing about it is that you have been gesturing and talking as if someone was at your table with you. It’s been rather amusing actually. The other customers didn’t seem to mind because you never got loud or out of line.”
I stood there for a moment with my mouth open. I could not believe what I just heard from the store manager. “You never saw me with another person?” I asked.
“Not one time,” answered the store manager. “You are the ultimate loner.”
I left the store and went on to work. For about a week, I went back to the coffee shop hoping to see Him again. Much to my disappointment, I never saw Him again.
For days on end, I replayed all of our encounters and conversations. I attempted to gain a better understanding of our conversations in the light of knowing that instead of speaking to a stranger all of those days, I was actually speaking to my Lord. I thought back to the many times I referred to him as a stranger, and I remembered that He always called me His friend. It was then that I realized that until I came to know him personally, He actually was a stranger to me. But through all of those days of conversation, He always called me his friend. Why was that, I wondered. Then I was reminded of the scriptures that tell us that the righteous ones are called the friend of God.Perhaps He had the foreknowledge that I was about to believe on Him and accept Him in my heart.

The above excerpt is from the copyrighted book Conversations with a Stranger by Larry Tate