This article marks the seventh anniversary of the Faith Conversations column appearing in the Webb Weekly. I confess, writing a column in a weekly paper was never on my bucket list. When Jim Webb first asked me to consider doing it, I turned him down flat. Why? Because writing publicly on a topic as divisive as religion is a sure-fire way to offend many people and open yourself to unwanted criticism and drama. I wanted no part of it. It took Jim about six months of friendly badgering before I finally relented.

Friends, I am so glad Jim didn’t give up. Writing in the Weekly has been a joy for many reasons, but the most important one is you. I know I will never have the opportunity to meet the vast majority of Weekly readers, but the ones I have met have been so very gracious. Your encouragement has kept me writing through some very difficult times. Your kind words and sweet faces are often in my mind as I sit at my keyboard. You have been an inspiration. Thank you so much. You are a dear partner with me in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

In case you didn’t read my debut article that appeared the first week in June of 2015, I am posting it again to remind us of why faith conversations are so important. Who knows? Maybe God will give us seven more years to keep the faith conversations going. That is my hope. Here is that first article in its entirety:

How can we know that God exists? What a great question to begin a conversation! Of course, if it’s truly a conversation, then we must also consider the opposite question, “How do we know God doesn’t exist?”

Conversation is defined as an informal talk with somebody, especially about opinions, ideas, feelings, or everyday matters.

I treasure conversation. It is the reason I rarely eat alone. I love to talk with people. But more importantly, I am eager to hear their viewpoint and to understand the unique mixture of ingredients that have led them to certain conclusions. When I listen, I grow.

In this weekly column, I would like to invite you on a journey of faith conversations. You need to know that I have no desire to argue or debate. Those forms of dialogue usually involve an effort to prove who is right and who is wrong. The result is divisive. There is a time and place for those forms of communication, but in this column, I want us to converse – to listen, to share, and to grow in our understanding.

My good friend Jim Webb once asked me a question about a particular social issue. In framing the question, he asked, “Do I approach this topic knuckles up or knuckles down?” In other words, should I be ready to fight for what is true (knuckles up), or should I be seeking to listen, to understand, and grow (knuckles down)?

I believe that debate and argument, the fight for truth, require knuckles up. And as you get to know me, you’ll discover that there are certain topics I am fully prepared to come at knuckles up – and swinging! I’m not afraid to fight. But as I get older and gain a greater life perspective, I find that there are some things worth fighting for but few things worth fighting about.

Jesus usually approached His culture knuckles down. But make no mistake, there were times when He was fully knuckles up! Interestingly enough, His knuckles were up most often when He was confronting the religious establishment of His time. I often wonder, if Jesus were here in person today, would it be the same? Would His knuckles be up when addressing us religious types? Sadly, more often than not, it seems that religious people are knuckles up over the wrong topics. That’s a great conversation, but for another article.

So, let’s begin this conversation. Does God exist, or doesn’t He?

And how can we be certain one way or the other? It is a foundational question that carries with it massive implications. Let’s have the conversation. And maybe, by conversing knuckles down, we’ll all learn and grow. See you next week!