World View Crash

Tonight was one of those nights I won't forget in a while. It started out normal enough. I went to a Padres game with Chris, my parents, and my best friend from home. (the Padres won, by the way). Anyways, after the game we come home, and I walk with my friend towards the car and start talking to him. This is where the night took a sudden turn.

We started talking about faith. I asked him how he was doing. He wasn't doing too well. Apparently over the past couple of years, he had started doubting a lot more. As a physical therapy student, he started believing evolutionary theory / psychology, and started to wonder about the nature of sin. As he described it, it's hard to recognize that you need Jesus if you don't exactly recognize the sin problem. Furthermore, he had spent time with a family in Mexico. He saw the way that they were perfectly devoted to Catholicism, which was different theologically than how he grew up. Despite this, they were just as friendly and kind to their neighbors as anyone he knew. Thus, why should his religion be the one true one? It's hard for him to believe this when there are countless people around the world believing other things.

As I was listening and talking to him, my foundations were being shaken. Perhaps the hardest part wasn't simply hearing what he was saying, but it was the fact that HE was saying it. This guy, my best friend, was the person who showed me what it meant to be a Christian. He was the one who brought me in and led me to Christ, in effect. Throughout high school I had looked up to him as a model for what I wanted my life to look like in Christ. Thus, to see him doubting and questioning faith, it was hard for me.

We talked for quite a while, talking about these topics and related ones. Coming away from it, I feel shaken up. I am starting to listen to my doubts a little more, and hear the questions ringing in the back of my head. Just the fact that my friend could have gotten to this state disillusioned me. If he could fall down this far, what makes me different. I used to look up to him, and look at where he is now? Also, I was upset with myself for not talking to him earlier. How could I have not noticed?

I'm going to need a lot of prayer in the coming days to get through this. I'm also going to ask to pray for my friend also.

Just before we left, I asked if there's anything I could do. All he said was "I won't refuse prayer." I reminded him of a story during high school. He used to pray before every time he would drive somewhere, for safety. Then, one time, he decided not to just to see what would happen. Then his car broke down. I hope remembering that story will both make him laugh, but also think again about his faith and what he believes. Please keep praying for him. I know I will be.