About a year ago, on vacation in Iceland, I found myself in a bar engaged in conversation with, well, a bit of a nut. Intensely political, rambling on about the various conspiracies he believed had been carried out by the United States government, he declared that the moon landings were clearly faked.
“But it’s easy to prove you’re wrong,” I said. “There are objects left behind on the moon. Landers. Flags. Footprints. Ranging equipment. Rovers.”
The man laughed loudly. “You think that man drive little car on moon? Hahahaha…”
Some people won’t believe anything. No matter what evidence exists.
It’s easier to understand why someone wouldn’t have faith in a Higher Power. There is no tangible, undeniable proof of God’s existence (not everyone believes the Bible came from Mount Sinai). But that doesn’t mean there isn’t evidence. It may be hard to imagine the Red Sea parting, or Jesus walking on water, but we do witness miracles every day. In Mysterious Ways, we share these experiences with the world.
It’s not just the words of a minister or some sentences in the Bible that have convinced so many people to have faith. Chances are it was a moment when each individual saw something, felt something, experienced something they couldn’t just explain away as random coincidence. Something as unlikely as an astronaut driving a little car on the moon—and just as real.
I’ve told my own stories before. How I met my wife, and the moment I knew she was the one, on our first date. How my dad and my aunt were comforted after my grandparents passed away. Taken individually, you might call any of these moments coincidence, weird synchronicities bound to happen in a world with myriad connections being made every day. But together these tiny threads knit a fabric. Objects left behind that we recognize as part of something bigger. It becomes harder to laugh at the idea that some force beyond our understanding is behind their creation.
What moments have made you a believer? Even you skeptics out there—is there a memory of yours that will always leave you wondering? We’re finishing work on our December/January issue, and looking for more true stories to share in 2014. Send us yours! We’re always in awe of what is possible.
