One of the cool things about being retired is that I get the opportunity to have more interaction with people that don’t consider church a part of their life. Nothing against church folks, and I always intended to befriend more people outside the church when I was a pastor, but when an introvert like me spends 50 or so hours a week planning, worshiping, learning, working and playing with church members, his aren’t people fun tank is getting pretty close to empty.

Now that my church life consists of worshiping and just a tiny bit of planning and working, I get to be with folks in more secular settings (Though I don’t think they call it “secular settings.” I think they call it life.)

Occasionally when people discover that I am a retired pastor, they feel a need to let me know that they used to attend church but now they are done with it and have declared for the atheist team. I’m cool with that. In fact, I want to hear more about it because often we have more in common than my unbelieving friends may suspect.

They tell me that they can’t believe in a god that is judgmental and harsh toward people that don’t follow a narrow set of rules or believe a certain way. I tell them I can’t either. They say they are more inclined to kindness and peace and they believe that how we treat one another is more important than what we believe. I think the Spirit concurs.

They say they are committed to a scientific view of the world and can’t throw out researched and tested truth about the life of the universe. I tell them that I am with them there as well. I believe that when Jesus said that he is the Truth it wasn’t meant to be a statement that limits or opposes those who seek scientific truth. I believe it means that whenever we encounter things that are true like ancient geology, vast astronomy, and history that indicates evolution, we see God’s fingerprint. I believe that creation exposes the Creator and I am awed by that. Richard Rohr says that when we find truth, we find Christ.

They say that they won’t follow a god that allows horrible human suffering. Ok, now they are getting closer to some of things that trouble me as well but I do not believe that God is the one to blame for the suffering that we either inflict on one another or allow to continue, and my guess is that we would be surprised at the ways that the Spirit stands with and sides with those who are in great pain. In fact, the good theologians and sound Bible scholars tell us that God has a preference for the poor and suffering.

So, when folks tell me they have left the church and are done with god I am not disturbed but my question for them is this; now that you’ve left where are you going? If the answer is that you are moving toward kindness, peace, reality, and standing with those who are suffering, I would like for you to consider the possibility that when you experience these things you are experiencing the true God, the one who said he is the way, truth, and life. Try not to hear those words as some want you to, narrow and exclusive. Try to hear them as an invitation to a spacious, truthful, way of life. You may find that you have left a little bitty god in order to make your way home to the God who is.