letters to an unknown god/there is no proof

1 Peter 1:3-9 John 20:19-31

Dear Ben-

It's been far too long since our last phone call, e-mail, or visit for that matter. I'm not sure what prompted me to write a letter, and you know actually put it in the mail with a stamp and everything. I suppose it was the novelty of the whole thing, I don't get too many things mailed to me anymore that I actually want to read. I'm sure you'd probably say the same, so hopefully this will be a bright spot in the middle of junk mail.

I'm in Chicago now, working a few odd jobs to make ends meet. I recently got started at a health club jockeying the front desk, it's not the best job ever but the hours make it possible for me to play shows at night with the band, so that is pretty sweet.

The other night, on my way from work to catch a jazz show at the Velvet Lounge, I passed by a street preacher on Michigan Avenue. He was on fire, yelling and screaming about the end of the world, God's Day of Judgment, the usual. I've probably walked past the guy twenty times and never noticed him, but tonight he gave me pause. I was tempted to stop and yell back at him, "where's your proof." "How do you know the world is coming to an end tomorrow?" I thought better of it, knowing that it wouldn't lead anywhere, but he got me thinking.

I know you are doing the whole seminary thing, how's that going by the way, and that you really get something out of Christianity or church or whatever, but where's the proof? I've seen the bunny and the eggs in stores around town so I know that Easter has happened, I remember learning that it's when Jesus supposedly raised from the dead. It makes for a good story, but how do you know that it really happened? How can you build your religion, your life, around a story when there is no proof?

I don't know why I've been thinking about this so much, or even if you'll be able to answer these questions. For whatever reason they are on my mind and thought I'd share. Hope you are well. Look forward to hearing from you sometime. My best to Beth.

With Love, John

John-

Thanks for the letter. I must say it is a welcome surprise to receive a personal letter from a good friend. The junk mail can be down right oppressive at times so seeing a letter from you definitely made my day. It sounds like the recent move down to Chicago has been a good one, though surely not without its challenges. Enjoy the music scene; I'm sure it is more exciting than anything we saw in Appleton while growing up.

I've been thinking about your questions, and what if I said to you, you're right there is no proof? I imagine that's not quite the answer that you're looking for, I suspect you were hoping for a little more back and forth in this conversation. However, it's a starting point for our conversation, so let's begin there, there is no proof. As you look around there seem to be very few signs, very little proof that Jesus defeated death by rising from the dead. You can point to proof of the season or day of Easter, the bunnies, the eggs, and the pastel colors run amok, but the claim that the Easter event makes, the claim that Jesus was crucified, was killed and then rose from the dead, that claim seems more elusive than the Easter bunny itself. And empirically it is.

I can't prove to you scientifically that Jesus was bodily raised from the grave. I can't give you the DNA evidence that so many Christians long to discover. We can't go to YouTube and see the resurrection occur, it wasn't looped on CNN, and it can't be recreated in the lab. You are right, there is no proof.

So why do I do what I do? Why do I spend more time studying and learning about something I can't prove, when I could be working doing a "normal" job? Why have I committed to working odd hours and giving up my Sundays, the best day for lounging, drinking coffee, and reading the paper? And the best question, why do people show up on Sunday mornings and Sunday evenings to worship and to listen to me talk about something I can't prove?

If you'll bear with me a minute I want to share a story with you from the Bible, not as proof, but because I think it is a helpful story given the questions we've been dealing with. It is a story about one of Jesus' appearances to the disciples after he'd been raised from the dead. It is often referred to as the story of Doubting Thomas. In this story Jesus appears to the disciples on two different occasions, first when Thomas was absent and then later when Thomas was present.

After Jesus' first appearance the other disciples tell Thomas about Jesus' rising from the dead and subsequent appearance to them. Thomas is skeptical to say the least. He tells the disciples that, "Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe." For Thomas there is no proof, he cannot believe just because the other disciples tell him so, he is convinced that he needs proof, he is convinced that he needs to touch and see, only then can he believe.

But then Jesus appears again to the disciples, this time with Thomas present. Jesus then presents himself to Thomas saying, "Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not continue in unbelief but believe!" Jesus seems to simply offer Thomas what he was asking for, empirical proof. However, Thomas does not appear to capitalize on Jesus' offer to touch and feel his wound, the offer which was precisely what Thomas had earlier stated was a requirement for him to believe. Rather, Thomas answers Jesus' offer with a statement of faith. He says, "My Lord and my God!"

You see, in this story it's not the proof that moves Thomas from unbelieving to believing. We don't know whether or not Thomas actually touched Jesus' hands and sides, but it doesn't matter, because his life is transformed by his encounter with the risen Jesus, not by the empirical proof he thought he needed.

Permit me to try and anticipate your follow up question. So, if there is no proof, and it's really about an encounter with the risen Jesus, where do these encounters happen? The short answer is, everywhere. For a simple concrete example let me share a quick story.

Last Sunday afternoon, Easter Sunday to be precise, Grandma and I were driving to my in-laws house for Easter dinner after church. We had stopped at a red light when all of a sudden a car blew past us, through the red light we had stopped at, and collided into another vehicle that was heading the other way through the intersection. It was a significant crash, both vehicles were severely damaged but luckily no one was hurt. A number of cars stopped on the scene, calls were made to the police, tow trucks were called. While we were waiting for the police to show up another car arrived on the scene and stopped to check things out, I believe the couple inside were medical professionals so they were offering their services in the event that there were any injuries. After the couple inspected all parties involved in the accident, the women went and opened her trunk and produced two Easter baskets and gave them to the couple who had caused the accident.

It was a striking gesture. The rest of the people who had stopped because of the accident, myself included, were gathered around the couple who had been hit, leaving the offending couple to fend for themselves once it was determined no one was injured. However, this woman and her two little Easter baskets broke down the barriers of shame, guilt, confusion and isolation that had built up around this couple. Through the plastic grass, wicker basket, and chocolate bunnies love and warmth were given to two people in desperate need of it. In this instance, the story of Easter, the story of the love of Jesus was actually made known in the familiar trappings of bunnies and chocolate. The reality that Jesus' love dissolves barriers was made visible in this simple but powerful gesture.

I do what I do precisely because of moments like that one. I believe what I believe because I see glimpses of God's love and God's work all around. I see it in random people on the street, I see it in my friends and family. I believe because God's story is one that includes all people, and it is one that gets played out each and every day in amazing ways.

Thanks for your questions. I hope that this is the beginning of a wonderful series of conversations. God is at work in you, I see it and for that I give thanks.

With Love, Ben