MOCKED
“If the world hates you, realize that it hated me first.” – John 15:18
“That’s stupid!” he said with a scornful chuckle. This man — a friend’s friend — and I were talking about faith matters. He blurted that out when I told him that people sometimes get a wake-up call from God.
“Why do you even need a wake-up call to renew your faith in God? That means your belief system has poor foundations,” he said. He had all the refutations to my faith claims. Impressive. Born a Catholic, he became a Born Again and now is agnostic because he said he couldn’t find the answers to his many questions about God’s existence. He’s well-read when it comes to the religions of the world. But I guess, in his quest for answers, more confusion set in.
OK, God, I thought, this man is mocking me for believing in You. Still, I smiled throughout our conversation.
My parting words to him: “Bless you.” His parting words to me: “Oh, no… don’t bless me. I don’t need it. You need it more.”
Who was I to feel bad about that? Jesus was mocked in the worst way during His time. I was just too glad that between that man and me, I am the believer. I pray that someday his heart would see God’s light. Nova Arias (nova.svp@gmail.com)
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REFLECTION:
Have you ever been mocked for your faith? How did you react?
Father, You are King over the flood. I will be still and know You are God.
Sts. Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs, pray for us.
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