I replied, in a kind of embarrassed tone, "Well, let’s put it this way, if I believe in something, I try to take it seriously." We then had an animated conversation on faith, the Church, and our personal views on God. Funny thing is, what was supposed to be a conversation on "how to make a profit" became a conversation that delved on the age-old Christian question, "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and yet loses his soul?" As the discussion heated up, I found myself on the defensive, trying desperately to justify to my friend why I believed.
"I personally think that the Bible is a bunch of fairy tales," my friend said. Then he went on to explain why he didn’t really believe in it. He wasn’t trying to offend me; he was very logical and calm in his explanation. I must admit that I almost got hypnotized into believing his position. I mean, if you think about it, in this day and age of the Internet, cloning, chemical warfare and instant mami, it’s hard to take stories like Noah’s Ark and the parting of the Red Sea seriously. Over the years, you get a bit jaded – and get a lot more cocky and arrogant about your views on the world, what you know and want to believe – especially if you can heat your food in 30 seconds!
As I have had my share of religious debates, I knew that this particular discussion was not going to go anywhere. Why? Well, a Christian would always argue on the basis of the Bible, right? But if you’re dealing with someone who doesn’t believe in the authority of the Bible, then any argument you raise with the Bible as basis will be shot down with a counter-offensive like "But I don’t believe in the Bible." End of discussion.
I’m no expert in theology or Christian history. But for some weird reason (and perhaps divine inspiration), I was able to come up with a logical, non-Biblical reason why I believe.
I told my friend, "You know why I believe? Well, I just put things in perspective. There have been so many powerful empires in the history of the world – the Roman Empire, the Ottoman Empire, the Hapsburgs of Austria, the empires in China. Then there were Napoleon and Hitler and their attempts to rule the world. All of these empires had almost limitless powers during their time. Quoting Leonardo DiCaprio of Titanic, "They were the Kings of the World!" But where are they now? The Roman Empire? I was in Italy recently and that empire, so to speak, is just a bunch of ruins that people drive by. Think about it. Despite all the pomp, the glory, the annexations, the countries they occupied, they all eventually ended and vanished.
On the other hand, there was this man – a poor man born in a manger, in a stable. A man who was a mere carpenter by trade, a son of a carpenter and an ordinary housewife. A simple man from a very remote town called Nazareth (which could hardly be called the center of history by any long shot). A man who never wrote a single book in his life, never led a country, never attacked any country, never ran for office, never made economic policies, never had a showbiz career, never was part of a popular love team, never appeared on any TV show or any form of mass media. A man whose message was carried out by merely 12 men – most of whom were illiterate fishermen. And yet, look at what effect this carpenter has had over the whole world. Wow.
Think about it for a moment. Imagine if this man appeared today, it would be like a carpenter from a remote town in Aparri going out in the streets and claiming he is the savior of the world. Even if he had access to modern communication technology such as the Internet, radio, TV – and even if he guests on Magandang Gabi Bayan to explain his cause – I’m sure that without batting an eyelash, we would dismiss this guy as another loony.
On the other hand, what did this carpenter from Nazareth achieve? Well, just take a look at Christianity today – it’s one of the most dominant, if not the most dominant religions in the world (if you count Catholics, Protestants, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and other religions whose faith is centered on Christ). Even the Muslims acknowledge Jesus in their faith. Because of this carpenter from Nazareth, human history was never the same again. History was virtually divided into two because of this man – B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini or Year of the Lord – Lord Jesus Christ!). Countless people have given up their lives to stand for what this carpenter stood for. And up to this day, despite the indifference of a lot of people on religion, we cannot deny that this carpenter still dominates. His churches are all over. Billions of people pray to him. Leaders all over the world respect and revere his representative on earth – the Pope. He is still very much around us – especially these days. Everytime you say "Merry CHRISTmas," you’re actually mentioning His name. And when we celebrate New Year, it’s another Year of the Lord.
I don’t know about you – but personally, I think there’s something undeniably Divine about how this one simple carpenter affected the whole world – and how his influence is continuing to shape the world right before our eyes. Not even the best scriptwriters or novelists in the history of mankind could ever come up with a story like that because it’s so unrealistically out of this world. Maybe because it IS a story that was written "out of this world." Personally, I am convinced.
So the next time you are asked why you believe, tell them this little story. It may not necessarily convert them, but it’ll make them think. And that’s a good start, just like when that carpenter was born in a manger more than 2,000 years ago. All good things start from somewhere.
Merry Christmas everyone!