The Bear
The Bear
An atheist was taking a walk through the woods.
What majestic trees!
What powerful rivers!
What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river he heard a
rustling in the bushes
behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot
grizzly charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked
over his shoulder and
saw
that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over
his shoulder again,
and
the bear was even closer.
He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to
pick himself up but
saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him
with his left paw and
raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..."
Time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came
out of the sky:
"You deny my existence for all of these years, teach
others I don't
exist,
and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.
Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
Am I to count you as
a believer?"
The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would
be hypocritical of
me
to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now,
but perhaps could you
make the BEAR a Christian?"
"Very well," said the voice.
The light went out.
The sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both
paws together and
bowed his head and spoke:
"Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive
from thy bounty
through
Christ our Lord
Amen
What majestic trees!
What powerful rivers!
What beautiful animals!" he said to himself.
As he was walking alongside the river he heard a
rustling in the bushes
behind him. He turned to look. He saw a 7 foot
grizzly charge towards him.
He ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked
over his shoulder and
saw
that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over
his shoulder again,
and
the bear was even closer.
He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to
pick himself up but
saw the bear right on top of him, reaching for him
with his left paw and
raising his right paw to strike him.
At that instant the Atheist cried out: "Oh my God!..."
Time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest was silent.
As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came
out of the sky:
"You deny my existence for all of these years, teach
others I don't
exist,
and even credit creation to a cosmic accident.
Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament?
Am I to count you as
a believer?"
The atheist looked directly into the light, "It would
be hypocritical of
me
to suddenly ask You to treat me as a Christian now,
but perhaps could you
make the BEAR a Christian?"
"Very well," said the voice.
The light went out.
The sounds of the forest resumed.
And then the bear dropped his right paw, brought both
paws together and
bowed his head and spoke:
"Lord, bless this food, which I am about to receive
from thy bounty
through
Christ our Lord
Amen


