I recently purchased Timothy Keller's Reason for God DVD. This records six conversations that Keller had with a group of people around their objections, thoughts and doubts about Christianity. I have been looking at this thinking that it may be a useful tool for evangelism training. The conversations give fascinating insights into what people think on some of the major issues. Keller in very thoughtful, but this course is not designed to simply give easy answers to tough questions.He concludes their conversation on the existence of suffering and evil by quoting the last stanza of the following poem by Edward Stillito, who survived the First World War.
If we have never sought, we seek Thee now;
Thine eyes burn through the dark, our only stars;
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have sight of thorn-pricks on Thy brow,
We must have Thee, O Jesus of the Scars.
The heavens frighten us; they are too calm;
In all the universe we have no place.
Our wounds are hurting us; where is the balm?
Lord Jesus, by Thy Scars, we claim Thy grace.
If, when the doors are shut, Thou drawest near,
Only reveal those hands, that side of Thine;
We know to-day what wounds are, have no fear,
Show us Thy Scars, we know the countersign.
The other gods were strong; but Thou wast weak;
They rode, but Thou didst stumble to a throne;
But to our wounds only God’s wounds can speak,
And not a god has wounds, but Thou alone.