Gaining Your Soul
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"Gaining Your Soul" by Peter Andrew Smith
Gaining Your Soul
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 21:5-19
Josh took a deep breath and walked into the lecture hall. He ignored all the students who turned and stared at him as he took his normal seat. The Professor raised an eyebrow and shuffled his notes.
“Mr Keller? I thought that perhaps you would not join us for another philosophy class given what happened last week.”
Josh’s heart raced at the memory of the blistering lecture which mocked faith as a construct of delusion. “No, sir. I believe that your course on philosophy can help me better understand the world so I have no intention of leaving.”
“That’s an interesting choice of words.” The Professor leaned forward at his desk. “I notice that you did not say you’ve given up your faith.”
“No, I do not.”
“So you didn’t listen or pay attention to last week’s lecture?” The Professor sighed.“I’m afraid that doesn’t bode well for you passing this course.”
Josh swallowed. “I thought what was most important was for me to understand the arguments, not that I had to accept them as valid.”
“Oh?” The Professor tilted his head. “Do you think you’re more brilliant than the scholars I spoke about last week?”
“No, sir. I’ll admit that their arguments may have some merit and need further consideration. That’s one of the reasons why I’m still here in this course.”
“Yet you are still hanging onto your superstitious beliefs.” The Professor’s eyes narrowed. “What else would I need to say to convince you that you are mistaken, deluded, and just plain wrong?”
“I don’t think that you actually can, sir.”
“Really? Why would you say that?”
Josh cleared his throat. “I was upset after last week and went to the library and spent some time reading. Your lecture was quite comprehensive on the scholars you referenced.”
“I have a feeling there is a ‘but’ coming.”
Josh nodded. “There are a host of respected philosophers who reject what you taught us and actually present solid counter arguments.”
The Professor smiled and stood up. “Ms. Perez, what are your thoughts on last week’s lecture?”
“I found it comprehensive and informative,” she said.
“Why?”
“Your words confirmed what I’ve always felt and believed.” She glared at Josh. “It’s a shame that religious people can’t listen to reason and accept that they’re wrong.”
“Mr. Keller, any response to that?”
Josh shrugged. “I understand the atheistic viewpoint better because of the lecture but don’t accept that it’s valid.”
The Professor frowned. “Why not? Because it does not fit with what your church teaches?”
“Partially sir but mostly because I have problems accepting the basic assumption made by the atheistic scholars.”
“What assumption is that?”
“That there is not and cannot be a God,” Josh said. “I think that limits their arguments and as some of the philosophers I’ve read suggest it blinds them to the possibility that they could be wrong about spirituality.”
The Professor stroked his chin. “Ms. Perez? Any thoughts?”
“I think Mr. Keller should drop this class.” She shook her head. “He obviously refuses to accept well reasoned and intelligent arguments.”
“Mr Keller?”
“I don’t claim to know everything but there are some fundamental things I believe to be true. The existence of God is one of them.” Josh took a deep breath. “Some of them the scholarship I read after class also pointed out some flaws in what you told us last week.”
“Flaws?” the Professor said. “Ms. Perez, what do you think of that?”
“I don’t think they are worth dignifying with class time, sir.”
“Really?” the Professor raised his eyebrows. “Then I think that you are going to have some problems with this week’s lecture.”
Ms. Perez frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Last week I gave you some great agreements against religion. Today I am going to present the counter arguments and criticism of those positions.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I may disagree with Mr. Keller’s beliefs and hold that what I taught last week is true but the fact of the matter is that some of the atheistic scholarship has been criticized rather effectively. I want you to be able to think and decide based upon the best thoughts and ideas not because what someone says fits with what you want to be true.” The Professor turned toward Josh. “If at the end I’ve missed some of the philosophers you read last week let me know. I’d like to read them myself.”
Josh nodded and settled back to learn philosophy, more confident in what he believed not because he refused to listen to those who disagreed with him but because he allowed his beliefs and trust in God to endure in the face of disbelief and scorn.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, November 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
"Gaining Your Soul" by Peter Andrew Smith
Gaining Your Soul
by Peter Andrew Smith
Luke 21:5-19
Josh took a deep breath and walked into the lecture hall. He ignored all the students who turned and stared at him as he took his normal seat. The Professor raised an eyebrow and shuffled his notes.
“Mr Keller? I thought that perhaps you would not join us for another philosophy class given what happened last week.”
Josh’s heart raced at the memory of the blistering lecture which mocked faith as a construct of delusion. “No, sir. I believe that your course on philosophy can help me better understand the world so I have no intention of leaving.”
“That’s an interesting choice of words.” The Professor leaned forward at his desk. “I notice that you did not say you’ve given up your faith.”
“No, I do not.”
“So you didn’t listen or pay attention to last week’s lecture?” The Professor sighed.“I’m afraid that doesn’t bode well for you passing this course.”
Josh swallowed. “I thought what was most important was for me to understand the arguments, not that I had to accept them as valid.”
“Oh?” The Professor tilted his head. “Do you think you’re more brilliant than the scholars I spoke about last week?”
“No, sir. I’ll admit that their arguments may have some merit and need further consideration. That’s one of the reasons why I’m still here in this course.”
“Yet you are still hanging onto your superstitious beliefs.” The Professor’s eyes narrowed. “What else would I need to say to convince you that you are mistaken, deluded, and just plain wrong?”
“I don’t think that you actually can, sir.”
“Really? Why would you say that?”
Josh cleared his throat. “I was upset after last week and went to the library and spent some time reading. Your lecture was quite comprehensive on the scholars you referenced.”
“I have a feeling there is a ‘but’ coming.”
Josh nodded. “There are a host of respected philosophers who reject what you taught us and actually present solid counter arguments.”
The Professor smiled and stood up. “Ms. Perez, what are your thoughts on last week’s lecture?”
“I found it comprehensive and informative,” she said.
“Why?”
“Your words confirmed what I’ve always felt and believed.” She glared at Josh. “It’s a shame that religious people can’t listen to reason and accept that they’re wrong.”
“Mr. Keller, any response to that?”
Josh shrugged. “I understand the atheistic viewpoint better because of the lecture but don’t accept that it’s valid.”
The Professor frowned. “Why not? Because it does not fit with what your church teaches?”
“Partially sir but mostly because I have problems accepting the basic assumption made by the atheistic scholars.”
“What assumption is that?”
“That there is not and cannot be a God,” Josh said. “I think that limits their arguments and as some of the philosophers I’ve read suggest it blinds them to the possibility that they could be wrong about spirituality.”
The Professor stroked his chin. “Ms. Perez? Any thoughts?”
“I think Mr. Keller should drop this class.” She shook her head. “He obviously refuses to accept well reasoned and intelligent arguments.”
“Mr Keller?”
“I don’t claim to know everything but there are some fundamental things I believe to be true. The existence of God is one of them.” Josh took a deep breath. “Some of them the scholarship I read after class also pointed out some flaws in what you told us last week.”
“Flaws?” the Professor said. “Ms. Perez, what do you think of that?”
“I don’t think they are worth dignifying with class time, sir.”
“Really?” the Professor raised his eyebrows. “Then I think that you are going to have some problems with this week’s lecture.”
Ms. Perez frowned. “I don’t understand.”
“Last week I gave you some great agreements against religion. Today I am going to present the counter arguments and criticism of those positions.”
“Why?” she asked.
“I may disagree with Mr. Keller’s beliefs and hold that what I taught last week is true but the fact of the matter is that some of the atheistic scholarship has been criticized rather effectively. I want you to be able to think and decide based upon the best thoughts and ideas not because what someone says fits with what you want to be true.” The Professor turned toward Josh. “If at the end I’ve missed some of the philosophers you read last week let me know. I’d like to read them myself.”
Josh nodded and settled back to learn philosophy, more confident in what he believed not because he refused to listen to those who disagreed with him but because he allowed his beliefs and trust in God to endure in the face of disbelief and scorn.
Peter Andrew Smith is an ordained minister in the United Church of Canada currently serving St. James United Church in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. He is the author of All Things are Ready (CSS) a book of lectionary based communion prayers and a number of stories and articles, which can be found listed at www.peterandrewsmith.com.
*****************************************
StoryShare, November 13, 2016, issue.
Copyright 2016 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 5450 N. Dixie Highway, Lima, Ohio 45807.
