I arrived early at the airport because I missed my flight to Colorado the last time I was supposed to fly. I literally missed that flight by one minute but things worked out because I met a lady on the plane whose son now attends our bible study sometimes. I am definitely looking for divine appointments wherever I go because I am an evangelist and looking to use my gift whenever I have the opportunity. So I arrived early and was on the phone with Raina. While I was walking past the bookstore a book titled, "Grand Design" by Steven Hawking caught my eye. I am a theology major and therefore interested in the arguments for the existence of God. I am familiar with Stephen Hawking's work because he is an atheist astrophysicist that has made claims that God isn't the best explanation of the beginning of the universe. Atheism is worst than magic: They have the rabbit but no hat and no magician.
So I asked Raina if I can call her back and I quickly skimmed the books table of contents, chapter titles and few paragraphs. I only stopped to read critical statements and chapters to really grasp the gist of what He was saying. Anyhow, my first flight I sat in the isle seat and looked around to see if there might be anyone willing to engage in conversation. To my luck everyone seemed pretty closed off so I slept the whole flight! The second flight was different. I sat next to a 4o year old man that was big in stature. He had an iPhone so I asked him what version. He told me a 3g and I showed him my 3g with cracked and devastated screen. He laughed and I showed him my new iPhone 3gs that Raina so kindly purchased for me unknowingly.
We began to talk about iPhone apps for awhile. He asked me if I had an iPad and I said no do you have one? He said yes, so I began to ask him if he reads books on it. He said he only listens to audio books now so I asked him which book he was currently listening to. To my astonishment he said "Grand Design." I cut him off and said, "by Stephen Hawking?" He enthusiastically said yes. We engaged in conversation about the book and I let him know that I was a theology major and was familiar with Mr. Hawking's work and recently watched him on Larry King live. He started talking about how Hawking is implying that there is no creator in which the universe was made by. I told him of course because he is biased because of his atheism. I told him about the top defenders of Christian theism and how, if he is on the fence then he should read books by intellectual thinkers that are believers in that God created the universe via the big bang and finely tuned the universe for life.
We were interrupted by the stuartist telling us about ordering food. He started complaining about how airplane food is the worst so I offered him some banana bread that my amazing grandmother packed me. We began to talk about other things and found we had many common interest. We talked about where we reside and whether in Florida. Later I began to tell him my enthusiasm for fish. I took a chance by telling him that I had 8 aquariums in my room and how, due to my lack of funds have been stocking my aquariums with fish that I have caught from freshwater lakes and ponds. He looked shocked, I almost felt embarrassed that I shared this intimate obsession with him, almost haha. I am not easily embarrassed because of my lack of caring what people think about me but you should of seen this guys face. He shared shockingly that he had a 3000 gallon pond and showed me his pride and joy salt water reef aquarium pictures via iPhone.
We talked aquarium talk for a long time. Shared pictures on our iPhones and found many other common interest to talk about. The plane ride was 4 hours long and we talked for most of the time. He slept and I brought out my bible to prepare for my upcoming weeks bible study. He woke up and asked me how I got into my faith. I told him my testimony of how I came to the knowledge of God. It took a good 30 minutes to get through all of it. He then proceeded to show his true feelings of how he doesn't understand how people can believe in religion. He was an intelligent man, a doctor from northern California. He was familiar with the arguments for the existence of God. We went back and forth discussing in detail: The origins of the universe out of nothing, how at the beginning of the big bang there was absolutely nothing, all physical space, time, and matter came into being at the moment of the big bang. We talked about the fine tuning of the universe and how it is incomprehensibly tuned on a razors edge, that the constants of the universe are delicately balanced that if they were one part of a infinitesimal fraction different then the universe wouldn't be life permitting and sustaining. Talked about the argument from contingency that everything is contingent on something for its existence. From the anthropic principle to who created God.
Our conversation was intellectually stimulating but getting heated. The nature of the arguments are they are arguments. We ended with the argument for objective morality. Begging the question, how do we know certain actions are objectively wrong. For instance why do we know that it is wrong to torture innocent children and kill for fun? Most people are novice in this area and so was he. He frustratedly said, "Some people just have broken brains!" I replied with a laugh, "The broken brain theory!" He laughed and I told him that the arguments aren't to prove someone certainly wrong or certainly right, but to offer a reasonable defense for why belief in God is plausible. "Take for instance our meeting today on this airplane. You could say that this is purely coincidental, that I read Grand design before meeting you. That we would have so much to talk about, so many common interest, to our enthusiasm for fish. I mean, having an iPhone is not an uncommon thing. Or we could say that God knows that you are on the fence, that He divinely planned this for you to meet someone that was skilled in the arguments, that the person you met lives for, loves, and believes beyond doubt that He is and He is who he says He is and really loves. That the God of the universe is so in love with his human creation so much he would offer His son as a sacrifice to restore relationship and a chance for sinful men to gain salvation."
He looked at me plainly. I told him that I have randomly met so many strangers on my journey that come to faith and continue growing in a love relationship and trust in God because of our divine appointments. I told him that I don't think it odd. Then I told him calmly that he doesn't have to believe me at all and that I really don't care to convert people, there is no gain for me but simply a love for people to experience and understand life as I believe it truly is. He looked puzzled and said, "I wasn't supposed to sit here." I was like, what? "Really this wasn't supposed to be my seat!" I said, okay I know you think believers will believe anything and are crazy, but stop, that's cruel, don't try to mess with me." He eagerly pulled out his iPhone and began to show me his online itinerary. "I told the lady and showed her my ticket and she told me I had to sit here." Inside I was ecstatic but outside I was composed. Looked at him and said, "You never know how God will try to show people He loves him." We exchanged contact information and a handshake. He grabbed his bags and walked out of the airplane, turned back and smiled, "You never know."
This was just the beginning of my trip but it set the tone. The rest of my trip was just phenomenal. Met believers from all over the world and we loved each other like family because we are. Would love to share my experiences further but this one is getting pretty lengthy. Hope you were blessed, inspired, and refreshed. God is always looking to reveal himself supernaturally through natural processes. You are in my life and I am available for you at anytime. If you have questions, comments, or need clarity on this or anything let me know. Praise God He uses ordinary people to be a part of His work, it is a blessing to be used by God. You never know who you are called to share your faith with in hopes that their spiritual eyes might be opened to understanding His love for us all.
Grace & Peace
Long live THE KING
