Defending the faith at high altitudes

Here is a story about our flight to Calgary last week...feel free to skip to the end and read the questions i was asked.

As I mentioned bruce and I were looking forward to this vacation since it was the first time we have been away together, without kids or me being pregnant, since 2004.

When we waited to board the airplane bruce asked me what my expectations were for the flight. Since having kids plane trips are survival trips…aka, keep the kids from screaming. So I really didn’t care if bruce read the entire flight. I just was looking forward to almost 4 hours to sit and do nothing. No one bothering me. no child squirming on my lap. No smashed crackers on my pants…you get the picture.

When we arrived to our row I had this instinct that my flight expectations may be different than the reality. Originally we were supposed to have an empty seat between us…no longer. We asked the gentleman if he wouldn’t mind sitting in the aisle or window seat so we could sit together. He chose the aisle…good choice.

From the moment I sat down he engaged me in conversation. We began with the pleasantries…where are you from, families, weather, things to do in Banff. He is from Calgary and has 8 kids (6 boys, 2 girls). We spent the next hour discussing what he does for a living, “insured facturing”. I’m at a loss, hoping bruce will explain to me what this is or at least let me know if making 7 ½ percent every year for the past 15 years is a true business or this guy is full of it. Unfortunately bruce is determined to stick to his plan. He pulls out a book to read. Unfortunately for bruce our new friend did not pick up on his subtle social cue and asked him about the book and then critiqued the book.

Bruce finally realized my need for a break so he pulled out our laptop and our new obsession, Heroes: season 1. for the next 1 hour and 40 minutes I am on vacation watching this great show. The entire time we watched the show our friend was flipping through the in-flight catalogue with all the stuff you don’t need, but want.

When we turn off the show I reached in my bag to grab a book to read. I knew that my friend would end up talking about the book, so I grabbed my Francine Rivers, Mark of the Lion, 3rd in the series book. This led him and me into the most in-depth spiritual conversation I have ever had with a stranger. I want to document all the points we touched on b/c I think that in the church we focus so much on how to be better Christians that we forget about those who still don’t even believe that Christ is God.

I felt that after our conversation I did what I was supposed to do…defend the faith. I wasn’t trying to “win him” to the other side. That is the holy spirit’s job. My job is to share the good news. To let others know what is truth. To stand up for what I believe.

Bruce commented after we were safely in Canada, that he was impressed with how I handled the situation. He said I stayed calm, I wasn’t combative and yet I stood firm.

Ironically, I had this deep conversation with a stranger whose name I didn’t catch until right before I got off the airplane. his name is “willy”.

Here are some statements from “Willy”:
-“The Bible was written by men who want you to believe certain things. They are trying to control you with this religion.”
-“Where is God’s mom and dad? Where did God come from?”
-“I believe that when you die you see a big light, which happens when your brain is trying to keep your body alive and then all that energy stops. Then you become a tiny little spirit that can fly to any country, absorbing knowledge. And maybe you can be chosen to re-enter another body.”
-“Perhaps it is in our DNA to believe in a god. So each civilization has created its own god.”
-“Do you really believe that one god controls the entire universe? How can he watch over so many people? I believe that there are multiple gods and each is in charge of it’s own area.”
-“How could the entire world be populated by 2 people: adam and eve?”
-“what if another group of people from another planet sent us to earth and they are controlling us by creating religion?”
-we discussed original sin and if children are born with a sinful nature...

so this is just a sampling of my conversation...how would you do?