Acts 17:26 - 27: From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth, and he allotted the times of their existence and the boundaries of the places where they would live, so that they would search for God and perhaps grope for him and find him—though indeed he is not far from each one of us.

In this country there is a strong movement to have this mutual respect for different religions; that is, the God I worship is no more or less valid or has no more or less authority than your god. The movement may eventually be assigned an -ism. Maybe 9/11-ism. It may already have an -ism.

I do not intend to enter into a debate about why the Christian God is God and all others are false. For one, such a discussion requires a lot of criticism of "the others." While such a debate might be worthwhile it's not the point of this little article.

This current emphasis on all-us-religions-just-get-along-and-maybe-we-can-each-worship-together-and-stuff weakened my resolve to love my God with everything within me. It caused me to question if I have been learning the real character of God or if I was merely learning the character of God as He was understood by the biblical writers in their own theological bent. I hope such challenges correspond to a growing Christian faith.

At times like these that we grope for God. We need Him. Our eternal souls depend on Him.

Paul says, "He is not far from each one of us."

I am reminded of the time the Prophet Elijah fled the wrath of Queen Jezabel (in 1 Kings 19.) He escaped to the Mount Sinai of old, Mount Horeb.

There, he met God. He expected to see God. He groped for Him.

He searched in a mighty wind; but he did not find God in the wind.

He searched in an earthquake; but he did not find God in the earthquake.

He searched in a fire; but he did not find God in the fire.

As Elijah continued to search for God, there came “a sound of sheer silence.”

God was in the silence.

Doubt is uncomfortable. But when we pause and think about Paul’s words to the Athenians, we realize that we have a mission; and this effort to somehow unite all religions under some kind of theological roof is a major distraction.

After the pause… After the realization that God was present all along, do we realize that we have been distracted? Does God ask me “What are you doing?”

My God; I love you. Thank you for being near. One day, I will look upon your face and truly witness your presence. I long for you.
Oh, God. Save me in my doubt.