Carl was out of town last Sunday so we decided to celebrate Father's Day a week late after he returned. Last night the kids came over (coming and going throughout the evening between their various activities.) Later on, everyone ended up back here at home and we sat around our firepit on the back deck. We talked late into the night. It was quite amazing--humbling, really-- to look at my children's faces in the firelight, grown-up faces now, in the prime of life, as they verbally grappled with the philosophical stuff of life. We bounced from subject to subject, mostly just asking questions of each other, finding that there are relatively few simple answers that can be put in a box with a neat little ribbon tied around it.
*The infinite vastness of this universe we are a part of and how it was all created.
*Theological questions about God and His character. If we choose to follow this God by faith, is there ever a line we can cross where He turns us away, just gives up on us? If so, where is that line?
*Why bad things happen where God seems to be distant and purposely uninvolved, and why in some other cases there are blatant in-your-face miracles where His presence is completely real and so KNOWN.
*If a tiny baby comes into the world and dies at birth, most everyone, even those who propose no faith at all, believe that child is in Heaven, protected and safe. But what if an 20 year old somewhere in the heart of Africa dies before He has heard the message of Jesus, what do we believe happens to that person in eternity?
Just before Doug and Mandi left and we all turned in for the night, Tessa read the following quote. It summarizes my faith in a God who is vastly (and comfortingly) so much bigger than I am. He is God and I am not. And I am OK with that.
"We try to be reasonable about what we believe. What I believe is not reasonable at all. In fact, it’s hilariously impossible. Possible things aren’t worth much. These crazy impossible things keep us going.” Madeleine L’Engle
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