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As theological debates on sexuality and marriage become more and more central, many Christian denominations are being asked to clarify their views.
And something happens inside little godless, lawless me: I need to know more about it.
Image: Alain Auderset.
Dear Alain...
... I was hanging around at my best friend Bastian’s house (actually I was waiting for him because he was busy having a shower), and I take out of his bookcase a certain comic book entitled Conventional Wisdom.
In his bookcase there are also Bibles, books about Jesus and everything … but, let’s face it, all that stuff doesn’t really interest me much, you see...
Whatever, there I am starting to read this comic book and then: aha! its a trap! – its a Christian thing! Well, as its not that bad anyway, I keep on reading. I have to admit to you that at the time I didnt find it all that funny; rather, I felt a bit of an idiot… targeted, really!
Anyway, Bastian comes out of the shower, it’s time to go and he sees me reading this comic book. He hands it to me as we go out and says to me: ‘Hey, take it home with you… and – er! – here’s a Bible too, there’s a risk that you’ll need it afterwards...’
Whatever! Oh well, he is my best friend after all and, considering how long we have disagreed on this subject, it can’t hurt to have a closer look at it…
So, at home (in secret), I read your comic book, I have a look at your internet site. I laugh at it, I think about it seriously… and something happens inside little godless, lawless me: I need to know more about it.
The bible is there, hidden under my bed; I read it (still in secret, eh), I start to pray but I am not sure that I am doing it right. I have doubts...
A few days ago, I’m coming back from work, with a lot weighing down on my shoulders. So I go out, I go into the fields to do a bit of archery and I walk away from the target.
Without understanding what’s got hold of me, I walk further and further away, until I am 25 metres from my target, which represents an enormous distance in relation to the type of bow I have. It is just about impossible for me to fire my arrows into the target, but I lay down the challenge to God and shout out loud:
‘Lord, if you are there, if you exist, if you are with me, make all my arrows hit the target!’
It’s a bit stupid to do that! What if they miss?
I fire all ten arrows right into the centre, into the little, yellow circle. CRAZY! INCREDIBLE!
Tears of joy run down my cheeks, I know that the Lord is there, that He loves me and never ever again will I doubt Him.
I called my friend to tell him about my experience; he, too, is happy. Now we have become more than friends: we are going to continue our journey together. The subject that bothered us has become the subject that unites us...
So there you are, God entered my life when I was 25, and it began with the ‘random’ choice of your comic book in a bookcase. Now it’s up to me to continue my walk and to draw near to God; I can’t wait to know Him even better...
All the best to you, may God keep you.
Suzy
Suzy’s baptism
For the occasion, she invited all her family and friends (and she has lots, as she is leader of a scout group) Suzy shared her testimony with them and, for the occasion, I did too…
I was moved and wept in front of everyone (he’s worse than a girl, that guy Auderset)...
P.S. Suzy is now going to church, and she has just got married to Bastian...
God says that he will exalt the humble and reject the proud. And there is nothing worse in approaching God than to go in a proud way.
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