“It kept happening, for months. Christ to the left of me, Christ to the right. It was unnerving. I turned away again and again, but every time I looked back, he was still there. I began to feel I was being . . . hunted? I wanted it to stop; at least, I thought I did. I had no interest in Christianity. I was a witch! A Zen witch, in fact, which I thought sounded pretty damned edgy. But I knew who was after me, and I knew it wasn’t over.”
— Paul Kingsnorth
I’m noticing a remarkable trend of brilliant thinkers moving from atheism/agnosticism/secularism—even paganism—to becoming profoundly believing Christians. These dramatic shifts of belief have presented significant challenges and opportunities for these individuals. Their stories of transition offer valuable insights regardless of what your beliefs might be at this time. As someone who lives in the liminal space between rationalism and mysticism, liberalism/progressivism, and libertarianism/conservatism, I find these individuals’ stories intriguing, instructive, and hopeful. I hope you will too.
Twice, I listened to this book by the internationally acclaimed historian, Tom Holland—Dominion: How the Christian Revolution Remade the World. His research of this book was the primary reason for his conversion to Christianity. Here is an interesting interview regarding that conversion.
I found this interview with Paul Kingsnorth captivating. Especially since the journalist who interviewed him is a married lesbian and practicing Jew. Kingsnorth is an awarded and renowned writer and environmentalist who had no plans or desires to convert to Christianity. You can also read his essay regarding his conversion here.
The journey of feminist, former Islamist, and New Atheist, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is fascinating. You can find that here. In addition, in broadcast public debate, Ayann has a remarkable conversation with her longtime friend and mentor, the famous atheist, Richard Dawkins.
Finally, in this podcast, Martin Shaw, a renowned storyteller and mythologist is interviewed regarding his conversion from skeptic to Christian.
Of course, there are many more such stories going back to C.S. Lewis and before. Intellectuals and atheists converting to Christianity is nothing new. But these stories are very current and have interesting twists. At times I have had (and still may have at some future point) serious doubts about God, religion, Christianity, and my belief in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ in particular. These stories enliven my faith and hope in a very particular and peculiar god come down to help and heal us through his compassionate suffering. Finding others coming from the shadows of doubt or disbelief who have had transformative experiences with Jesus Christ helps transform me more into the believer I hope to become. Such stories also give me an appreciation for and greater commitment to my faith tradition and its unique and compelling offerings to Christians and seekers of all kinds.
Last week I came across a passage in the Book of Mormon that evoked a meaningful response from me. I am prone to journal when I read scripture. And then I felt to share my thoughts with several friends via text. This is the gist of what I wrote:
“And the world, because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught; wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.”
– 1 Nephi 19:9
I especially like: “because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering.”
The idea of a God who is kind to us because he loves us moves me. A loving kindness that entailed coming down to live and suffer with us for a long time prompts me to love him. It makes me want to follow him. It gives me faith in him. In his teachings and in his life, death, and resurrection. It makes me want to give loving kindness to all living things—and suffer long with them.
I am grateful we are invited to long suffering and loving kindness by and with Jesus Christ. The one who knows from the crucible of his mortal experience how to succor us. We are often invited, amid our own long suffering, to help others bear their long suffering. To then extend his loving kindness to us to others even when such kindness is not returned. Not a perfunctory kindness but a kindness rooted deep in God’s compassionate lived-out love. As we do so we can better bear our burdens through the grace of Christ. We may still suffer long but suffer more lightly. And at times even joyfully.
For me, this is the essence of The Prince of Peace. This feels like redemption. This strikes me as salvation in the here and now and forever. Because the here and now of me giving loving kindness and long suffering to whoever is in front of me becomes our future. Our forever.
