A Lovely Shade Of Blue: Becoming A Christian
Becoming a Christian literally turned my world upside down. Everything that I had previously understood about human behaviour, the Earth and its purpose, had to be shifted sideways to make room for God,'' writes Claire George.
Until the age of 30 I was what is called a "materialist". Like many British people I believed the physical world was all that existed. I thought my outlook was an accurate reflection of the world's reality, and that religious people were in the wrong. I did not realise that what I believed was a philosophy. I thought it was true.
I had no knowledge or interest in people's stories of conversion, so when I first felt God's presence in my life it was completely unexpected.
People born as Christians are taught from childhood that Jesus is walking alongside them and that the Holy Spirit is active in their lives. This is comforting for Christians. For a former materialist it can be very difficult to get used to. You could sum up my feelings as:
"There's an invisible presence with me at all times? Argh! Argh!"
Christians are used to thinking of the world as a physical place with an unseen holiness at action in it. In the non-religious world many people believe in prayers, God, ghosts and the afterlife. These people may have an easier time transitioning into Christianity. However, for a materialist (particularly one who is no longer a youth) it can be very difficult.
Becoming a Christian literally turned my world upside down. Everything that I had previously understood about human behaviour, the Earth and its purpose, had to be shifted sideways to make room for God. At the age of 30 with my worldview already fixed in place, that was not an easy process. I wonder how many former materialists abandon their new faith because they find the transition to be too difficult.
So the message that I would like to share is this. If you want to help your friends find faith, be aware that it might be extremely challenging for them. Let them know it's okay to say that finding God can be freaky, disturbing, uncomfortable and unpleasant.
Tell them it's okay to miss the comfort of believing that the whole of existence can be understood by science. Let them know that God is a gentleman, that He won't push them into having a relationship with Him before they're ready, and that there's no rush for them to believe everything that Christians believe. People are not materialists one minute and then Christians the next. It takes a long time to process the many different claims that Christianity makes about the world.
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To read more of Claire's inspiring wordsplease click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/a_lovely_shade_of_blue/
