I grew up in a family that had little to no relationship to any church, or was attached to any specific religion. We celebrated Christmas, Easter, said grace at the dinner table and I said my prayers at night before bed but other than that I had never gone into a church. We had a couple within walking distance from or home, so I decided to go to the nearest one to see what it was all about. These were the days pre internet, cell phone/smart phone.The days when children could go and walk or ride bikes and had no fear what could happen and parents wouldn’t worry if thier kids weren’t within sight ot shouting distance of them. A simpler time.

There I was inside the strange building looking at wooden benches, I had no idea they were called pews then, and the songbooks. I looked at the front where there was a big wooden thing that some man was standing behind, and behind him high on the wall was a big cross. I sat down on the bench and it was few moments before he noticed the small boy sitting alone. He came down and asked me why I there? I told him I had never been in a church before and came to see if this was the place that God spoke to people. He smiled at me and said that this was where they heard the word of God. I was excited!I said I wanted to hear that too. I was told that if I came back that Sunday that I could hear the word along with those that were there. I left and waited all week to hear God.

Next Suday morning I was up and out of the house and at the church. I waited, and waited. I sat, I sang, I listened to the man that I had met before who others called “Reverend” and I waited but still nothing. After it was all over I still sat and he came to me and asked me if I had heard God’s word? I said no, the only person that spoke was him and asked did I miss it? Did everyone else hear God speaking but me? The look on his face was what I know now as one of amusement. He asked me if I had really thought that god spoke to everyone in churches. I said yes, isn’t that what they were for? Isn’t that why people came to hear God speak to them? He laughed and told me that it doesn’t work that way. That the word of God was in the bible, and that was how he spoke to us. I knew next to nothing about the bible other than the fact it was old book and asked what if there was something new God had to say, if the bible was written a long time ago what if there was something new he had to say to us or to tell us? The look that I got was not one of amusement, but one I knew well. It was the same look my parents would give me when they thought I was bothering them with a “stupid question”. I did ask him if God had spoken to people in the past, I knew that there had to be some and was told yes, but that was long ago. God didn’t speak to people any more. That’s was the bible was for, that was his word. I left dissapointed.

Over the years I visted other places from time to time, different “Houses of Worship”. Churches, Synagogues, a Mosque, and even a Cathedral. I never heard him speak one time. Over that years, many more than I would like to admit to, I wondered about that. God had spoke to so many in the past, why not now? I have given this a bit of thought and had not had an answer until now. It’s not one that most people will want to hear, So I’ll ease into it a bit.

If you are a parent, you want the best for your kids. Start them out right. They will learn, grow and go out on their own one day and you try to help them be the best they can be. To be better than you were. Most would say that’s every parent’s dream. Well, since God is our father don’t you think he want’s that for us as well? We came so far since the begining. We’ve made some mistakes along the way like most children do but what we have done has been amazing, and I’m not talking technonlogy wise although that is a part. I’m talking as a culture. As humans. We have though, planned, contemplated. We have discovered great truths, made great docterns and laws, evolved over time past the era of living in caves to great societies. Man has always strived to be more, to be better than the previous generations. But then, for some reason we stopped thinking about the future and instead started thinking of ourselves. The hear and now, instead of possabilities. What’s in it for me instead of how can I do better. It’s simple. We don’t talk any more.