An offensive title

Last night, on my way to see a movie with a friend, I decided to stop at Barnes & Noble for dinner. You may think that's strange, but I work there, which means food from the cafe is pretty darn cheap. Plus, I was hoping that a certain young lady would be working in the cafe. We need people to paint faces on Saturday and there's just something about her that I've always liked. I thought she would be a good addition to our team of airbrush artists. (She was there, and she is going to work with us on Saturday. Woohoo!)

Anyway. I ordered my food then realized that I needed something to read while I ate my solitary meal (I was at a bookstore after all). I went looking for a title recommended to me earlier that day, The Mind of God by Hunt. It wasn't on the shelf. But I realized I was in the neighborhood for Craig Groeschel and decided to see if he had anything new out.

I looked up a row to see a loud orange cover with the title the Christian atheist running down the spine. And at first, I was repelled. I mean, how can anyone use the word "Christian" to describe an atheist. I didn't even want to touch the book...but then, I thought back to the times I heard Groeschel speak at Catalyst. His messages were always timely, powerful, thought-provoking. So I picked the book up and went back to the cafe.

And I got drawn in pretty quickly. He begins the introduction this way, "Hi, my name is Craig Groeschel, and I'm a Christian atheist." I read that and I thought, WHAT?! But he's a pastor, he has a huge congregation, he's a leader for my generation. WHAT?? But then I kept reading, "For as long as I can remember, I've believed in God, but I haven't always lived like he exists."

I asked myself, "Self, have we done that?" And I had to answer, my head bowed, "Yes, yes indeed we have."  So I kept reading. Now, my story is very different from Craig's. Just as your story is going to be very different from mine. But the Introduction ends, in part, with these words: "Was there a time in your life that you were closer to God than you are today? If you're like me, then spiritual drift didn't happen on purpose. Like a tiny leak in a tire, slowly but surely, your spiritual passion quietly slipped away..."

I bought the book.