Conversation. Coffee. Christ.
A true story.
hey can we meet for coffee? is the text I get that morning. I haven’t seen him in a year, but I think, “Sure, why not?” He looks, different – a lot happier or something – and he tells me about a book he’s been reading… twice. Soul Cravings. The book says that God is Love. Could it be true?
“I really connected with this idea that God is love, but I don’t know what to do now.” He says with eyes lit. So I tell him my own story and how I’ve realized that God is Love and God is Creator and his signature is in creation. I tell him that in God’s creation, there is beauty and intentional design, which inspires our artwork. He is beauty.
“Wow, God is beauty?” The artistic side in him resonates with a God who creates beautiful things and is himself beautiful. So he cuts to the chase. “How do I get this God?” I decide to wait a bit – see how bad he wants it.
“Its available for the taking, man. Jesus is like a well, you just dip into his love.” Oh the suspense. His voice picks up slightly.
“How do I do that?” Getting closer now.
“The reality is that if you want it you just need to take it. Problem is, quite often our hands are full of other stuff. We gotta let go of little gods we might be holding onto that aren’t very satisfying. That way you can fully embrace God.” Now we are getting somewhere.
“Oh ok… ya, ya.” I can see the film rewinding in his mind as snapshots of his life flash before him – regrets, fears, idols – things he’d been holding onto. I think, now – a good opportunity to ask a simple question.
“You know we call this Christianity, eh. But do you know where Jesus fits in to all of this?” He thinks for a moment.
“No, I guess I’m sort of blind to that.” His words, not mine. I can’t believe his heart is in a place to admit this sort of thing. God is working.
“That’s true my friend, we’re all blinded by sin. But Jesus died for you so you could take the blinders off. You want to see God? Jesus died to forgive our sins so we could be friends with God.” Pause. I sip some coffee and probe. “What do you think of all that?”
“Hmm,” he ponders. Wrong things come to the surface in his mind. Blind things – obstacles in his friendship with God. “I think I need to go home. I need to thank God for a lot of things and ask forgiveness for a lot of things too.”
Fantastic. We pray. He leaves. I get on the bus and think about how good God is. The next morning I get another text: thanks for meeting with me. i found myself having a conversation with Jesus. talk soon man.