Patrick Bet-David - Everyone has a God

Reflection

Patrick Bet-David grew up in the chaos of the Iran-Iraq War, witnessing suffering and loss at an age when most children are sheltered from the world. That experience left him with a deep question: how could a loving God allow such pain? As a young adult, he identified as an atheist and stayed there for years. His turning point came after a painful breakup. Alone and hurting, he prayed a hesitant prayer: 'God, if You exist, I'd love to talk to my mum.' They hadn't spoken for years. Shortly afterwards, his mother called him on a phone number she didn't previously have. The timing, the specificity, the impossibility of her knowing, it was enough to make him question the atheism he had carried for so long. Patrick's story is a reminder that God often meets people not through a thunderous argument, but through a moment that feels too personal to dismiss. For someone who has decided there is no God, one unexpected phone call can be the beginning of a very different search.

Questions to sit with

• Has suffering ever made it hard for you to believe in a loving God?
• What would it take for one unlikely moment to make you reconsider your view of God?
• If God is real, do you think He would reach out personally, or only through ideas and arguments?
• Is there a relationship in your life that you would love to see restored?

Topics