A Challenge & My Response

A friend is struggling with his faith in Jesus the Living, Resurrected One. That is OK as I struggle and wrestle not only with scripture but with this life of, with, by, in, through Christ on a daily basis. We were involved in a conversation and he questioned and challenged me on my understanding and experience of living what I know as the "spirit-filled-life"' I have mulled over not only his question/challenge but my simple response. Both are below.

THE CHALLENGE

I challenge you: prove there is a real supernatural, resurrected Presence that gives you power in your life; something that can't be explained or experienced by any self-actualized atheist, agnostic, Buddhist, etc.

MY RESPONSE

I have considered your question and your challenge carefully. Here is my conclusion: I can't. 

I can't prove any of it to you in a way that would satisfy the need for empirical evidence. That is not my place as a seeker of spiritual truth and understanding. I very rarely use the term "I know" any longer because frankly; I just don't know. I will continue to use and live in words like, faith, hope, trust, believe.

I might actually be involved in a life long pursuit of "self brainwashing". What I sense that I call the presence of God might indeed be the opiate of religion & spirituality "needed" by those of us too weak minded to live in human reality as it is. 

What I call prayer & many times the subsequent "still small voice" might just be a way for my subconscious to access the mind full of a life time of experiences to give me the needed answer I require to plod through life.

The sense of well being and peace I have because of my faith in the resurrected life could be a natural coping mechanism due to millions of years of evolution.

If I am living a delusional life of self brainwashing & relying on spirituality as a life drug upon which to cope in life, please let it continue and increase the dosage.

Upon death all may be oblivion. If so, then there will be no one there to point a finger in my face and tell me what a fool I was in life for living a fantasy. I truly am OK with that.