Reaching Non-Believers


"Faith is a gift I have not yet received." — Professor Langdon, "Angels and Demons"

I love that moment in "Angels and Demons" when the priest, played by Ewan McGreggor, asks Professor Langdon if he believes in God. Now, I realize that much of organized religion has been critical of the Langdon films — "Angels and Demons" and "The Da Vinci Code" — and, certainly, there are reasons for that. The films aren't theologically sound, yet there are moments of genuine searching in "Angels and Demons."

In that sequence, Langdon responds that he has a problem with organized religion, but McGreggor pushes him further. Langdon says that his head tells him he'll never understand God and his heart tells him he isn't meant to. That is the great question we all must wrestle with. That, is faith.

Hebrews 11:1 says, "Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see." At some point, in other words, we have to take the leap. And that leap is a gift.

And the path to that leap is different for everyone. I love how Francis Schaeffer writes about faith. He talks about going out and slipping off a ledge and hanging on. Then, a voice from the fog below says he is there, there is a safe landing place, and all you have to do is let go. When that happens, there are two reactions. Some just instantly take the leap and let go. Others ask questions of the voice, consider the evidence, then make the decision to let go. That is a metaphor for faith.

All we can do is help channel that voice to those hanging on the edge of the cliff and hope that they find the courage to let go.

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