Wednesday, June 18, 2008

• For some reasons I had bought Christopher Hitchens' book "God is not great", but really did not have the time to read it for so long.  Last week, my wife and I had to take on a 20 hours journey by bus (one way) to meet my elderly parents.  My father is about 75 and three years ago he took on a holy pilgrimage with bare foot, that too in the chilly winter of North India.  When he returned home from a month long trip, instead of bringing hope, peace and joy of salvation, he brought a terrible pneumonia that totally destroyed his both the lungs.  Nearly 25 years ago, he disowned me for believing in Christ.  It took many years for both of us to come in speaking terms but still had that cold feeling about each other.  I did forgive him the very day he disowned me, but as the years went by, he grew softer and softer. 

  This time I was amazed to see the changes that had come in his life.  He had become so skinny that the skin was touching his bones and the son he had trusted after disowning me was not willing to look after him.  Doctors have given him a very short time to live.  When I asked him "where are you going after death", "I don't know" was his answer.  I shared the gospel and gave him stark choices to make before he departs from here.  He promised that if he survives another year or so, he will think about it.  My mother was willing to accept Christ and even be baptized, but because of the old man…. 

  Since the journey was so long, I had finished some chapters of "God is not great" and on our way back from my hometown; I began to see Hitchens as a young teenager boy who is mad at his parents for not giving the things he wanted to so much.  Because the boy is so mad at his parents that he starts to see everything with those angry glasses. Having heard Hitchens reputation as a thinker, I was disappointed with the way he connects ideas, events and scriptural references only to prove his anger against Christian God.  He does not dare to attack Allah or Mohammad but only brushes it with some political scenario; may be due to the fear of death.  He mentions Koranic and Islamic inconsistencies but then turns to the God of the Bible when it comes to make a final attack.  As I see from this, I am inclined to think that the atheists are not afraid of other religions except the message of the Bible. 

  As I said good bye to my devout Hindu, and ailing father, I could not stop but think that people who deny God are not denying because they know he is not there but because they are angry at him for some reasons.  It is not so much of a matter of knowledge but of rebellion against God.  Even my father's religious life did not bring the kind of end he wanted and is still looking for answer.  If Hitchens comes to him and tells him that there is no life after death, "old man, you have had your share of it and now there is nothing left for you, just die and you are finished", I wonder the old man would be satisfied.  But when I talked about the God of the Bible, this stubborn Hindu was willing to give his ears and who knows he might even give his heart and die as happy as he could ever be.

  If you happen to read so far, please say a prayer for my old father that before he dies, he will give his stony heart to Jesus Christ.

   Me, sitting with father and next is mother, elder sister, yougest sister, my brother's wife.  Behind me is my brother, elder sister's son, my brother in-law and the three of them my brother's children.  My wife was the one who took the picture and my son could not travel due to his schooling in Kathmandu.

  

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