How to Respond to "I Can’t Believe This"
“I can’t believe.”
That’s the sentiment of people //who have a specific intellectual or emotional issue //that has halted their headway toward God.
It’s expressed by:
* headway; move forward or make progress, especially when circumstances make this slow or difficult. 전진, 진척
The physician //who says, “I can’t believe the Bible /because it conflicts with modern science.”
The mother /of a sick child //who says, “I can’t believe in a God //who permits my son to suffer /when so many evil people seem to be successful.”
The lawyer //who says, “I’m used /to dealing with evidence and facts; I can’t believe in something //that we’re asked to accept purely on faith.”
The corporate executive //who says, “I prayed that my business would get through its crisis, but it’s going down the tubes.
I can’t believe in a God //who ignores my call for help.”
* get through 끝내다, 연락되다, 전달되다
1. To finish or assist in finishing: The rat got through the maze. His mother got him through the college application process.
2. To succeed in making contact: telephoned but couldn't get through.
3. To make oneself understood: What do I need to do to get through to you?
Since I’m more of a “thinker” than a “feeler,” I especially enjoy helping people get past intellectual roadblocks. Many times, their questions are very specific.
* get past. 1. Lit. to move something around or ahead of someone or something that is in the way. 장애물을 지나가다
For instance, on Good Friday of 1990, a successful attorney came /into my office /to discuss spiritual matters. He had been checking out Christianity for six months, and [the question //that had stymied him] was “How can I be sure that I can trust the Bible?”
* stymie; prevent or hinder the progress of. 막자, 방해하다
That’s a legitimate question, and we discussed it /for about three hours.
Finally, there was a pause, and I said, “Do you have another question?”
“I guess () I could go on /forever /asking questions about side issues,” he said,
“but really, my main questions have been answered. I suppose now the issue is, ‘What am I going to do with all of this?’”
He had jumped a hurdle /concerning the reliability of Scripture, and now he was ready to deal with the Gospel.
In discussing spiritual matters with unchurched friends, often I’ll ask, “Is there a specific question or concern //that’s hanging you up /in your spiritual journey?” That inquiry helps them focus /with clarity /on what’s really blocking their path to God. Once they’re able to articulate the question, then we can begin to find answers /so they can continue /onward /toward Christ.
To help them picture their situation, sometimes I’ll modify [something () Pascal once said] and describe for them the three basic camps of people in the world. There is:
Camp A, which consists of people //who have found God;
Camp B, which is composed of people //who are seeking God and will find Him;
Camp C, for people //who aren’t seeking God.
* "consist of sth" in English. B1 to be made of or formed from something:
* consist; 자동사 (대>소), comprise; 타동사(대>소), compose; 타동사 (소<대)
I tell unchurched friends that there’s no advantage to being in Camp C. Unless God does something dramatic, as He did when he transformed Saul of Tarsus into Paul the evangelist, Camp C is a dead end. So I encourage them to pull up their stakes, most to Camp B, and sincerely search for the truth about God. And, of course, we know from Scripture that [anyone //who’s sincerely in Camp B] will eventually end up in Camp A.
* to pull up their stakes; to move or go to live elsewhere.
This week's essay is drawn from "Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary" by Lee Strobel.
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