He didn't believe in God

Reflection

Stories of people who once firmly did not believe in God and later came to faith are common enough that they can start to feel formulaic, yet each one represents a genuinely personal and often difficult journey that deserves to be heard on its own terms rather than filed under a general category. Disbelief is rarely just an intellectual position, it is usually tangled up with experience, upbringing, disappointment or simple indifference. The biblical pattern of encounter, doubt giving way slowly or suddenly to conviction, appears throughout scripture, from Thomas who needed to see for himself (John 20:24-29) to Paul who was actively hostile to Christianity before his own turning point on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-19). None of these accounts suggest disbelief is shameful or that belief arrives without a genuine wrestle. They simply testify that change, even unlikely change, remains possible for anyone willing to keep asking honest questions.

Questions to sit with

• What has shaped your own current level of belief or disbelief in God?
• Have you ever changed your mind about something you were once certain of?
• What would an honest, ongoing conversation about faith look like for you right now?

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