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Frank went to the barber for his hair cut. The barber Joe, an atheist, talked to Frank about God and pointedly proclaimed: “There is no God! If God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? Why so much suffering and pain? Why all these natural disasters? I can’t imagine a loving God allowing all these!” Frank, a Christian, wanted to speak up but didn’t respond because he didn’t want to start an argument. He considered it unwise to make the barber Joe, with scissors in hand, angry.
When Frank left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. Frank turned back and entered the barbershop and said to Joe: “You know what Joe – barbers don’t exist”. “How can you say that Frank?” asked the surprised Joe. “I am here, and I am a barber!” “No!” Frank exclaimed. “Barbers don’t exist because if they did, there would be no such people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards like that man outside.” “Ah, but barbers DO exist!” said Joe. “That’s what happens when people don’t come to me for their haircut.” “Exactly!” said Frank. “That’s the point! God, too, DOES exist! You ask: Why so much sickness, pain, suffering and disasters in the world? Well people just don’t go to God to look for Him, find Him and ask for help”.
The Bible goes straight to the point with the statement: “In the beginning God …”. God DOES exist and God is LOVE. He loved us enough to send His Son Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world. We love Him because He first loved us. The Bible teaches that we show our love for God by loving people. God Himself sets the example. He loves people and He wants us to love people. If we believe that God exist and that God is LOVE, then we should love Him in return and love the people around us. John writes: “Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, … but whoever hates his brother is in the darkness, and walks around in the darkness …” (1 Jn. 2:10, 11). The love of God is shown in our lives to those around us. The desire to come to Him to know Him and love Him should be always in our hearts as we serve Him. Remember: “God is LOVE” and His command “Love God – Love people”.
