Zach's response to "What Christians Believe"

In the opening paragraphs C.S. Lewis poses a question that I have often pondered and that sets the tone for the rest of the passage. He writes, “If God created the world then why has it gone wrong?” The more I think about my life and about the challenges that I have faced the more I have realized what the answer for me may be.

It was a cold February night; my Mom would be leaving the next day for a buying show. For that reason we decided to celebrate Valentines early by going out for Spaghetti. It was a night much like any other. We were seated quickly; we walked past the old fashioned trolley and were seated near the bar. We placed our orders with quick confidence. We had been there hundreds of times and didn’t even need menus except to pass the time. I had a major English assignment due the next day, we began to discuss it.

“I have to write three letters like the letter between Caesar and Brutus, like in Shakespeare’s play.”

Our salads arrived and we began to eat. Then out of nowhere we began to hear loud pops, like balloons. We all listened intently; although it was not uncommon to have parties at the restaurant these sounds had a different character to them. One, two, three, “Call 9-1-1 he’s go a gun.”

A frenzy of movement, we all dove under the table and sat there like a twisted mess, each grabbing their own phones and placing the desperate calls for help. Another round of pops ensued, followed by a flurry of pops, then silence. Where was the gunman? Was he on the move? Was he coming for me and my family? Thousands of questions raced through my mind. What seemed like hours passed. We sat there, an uncomfortable mess of bodies.

Finally S.W.A.T arrived. Our liberators were finally here. We marched single file hands above our heads, escorted by men with guns. We finally reached safety across the street; it was now ok to breathe. My mom began to cry, as she held my little brother. It was over, it was finally over.

I share this story because I think that it helps illustrate C.S. Lewis’s point. A shooting and killing of innocent people are about as bad as the world can be. But I learned something very valuable from the ordeal. Weeks later, I was driving with my mother and brother, when my little brother of six said something profound.

“Mom,” he began, “You know when we were hiding under the table at Trolley Square? I was praying that Heavenly Father would protect us.”

Wow I thought. I didn’t think to pray, but my little brother who is half my age did. I learned something very important about the power of prayer and about God’s knowledge of each and every one of us. He knows us very personally and is always watching over us.

To answer C.S. Lewis’s question I would say, the world hasn’t gone wrong, rather we face challenges and obstacles, to grow and come closer to God.