Jeremy - 51 years old

Annie & I met Jeremy on the campus of SAIT taking a break, resting in the shade, and watching the people go by. When we asked him if he'd be up for answering a questionnaire, he said with a big smile, “Sure!”

“What is your spiritual background?”

“A.A.”

“Okay, any other spiritual influences in your background?”

“I guess Roman Catholic,” he said.  “My parents were catholic but they're not practicing and it's really hasn't had an influence on my life.”

“What words would use to describe your religious experience?”

“God shots.”

“God shots?” I queried.  “I’m not familiar with that.”

“God shots are like those times of the day when you going around and you're struck with  spiritual thoughts or experiences and you just realize there's got to be something out there--you know, watching over you.”

“Oh. Okay. I think I follow you. What other words would you use to describe religious experience?”

“Unknown.” “Unproven.”

Jeremy would like to ask God, “Where did You come from?”

If God were to ask Jeremy, “Why should I let you into heaven?” Jeremy would say, “Because You let everyone else in.”  And on a scale of 1-10, he would rate his goodness at a 7. 

“Thank you, Jeremy, for answering these questions. I'm curious about something you said.  Do you mind if I ask you another question.”

“No problem.” 

“Do you believe that everyone goes to heaven?”

Jeremy backpedaled a bit, “No, not everybody.”

“So, some get in and some don't?” I sought to clarify.

“That's correct. There are clearly some bad people who wouldn’t get in.”

“What is the standard that determines who gets in and who doesn't?”

He thought for a moment, “I suppose that it that it depends if you're a good person.”

I gave him the booklet on Christianity and showed him the 10 Commandments and said, “God has given us the 10 Commandments by which we can tell how we have lived our lives.”

Jeremy read the 1st commandment and said, “Oh, I have broken that one.” We talked a little bit about the Commandments and I said that breaking one commandment is like breaking the link in the chain--once it's broken they're all broken.  God sees us as lawbreakers.”

At this point Jerry sent threw out an objection seeking to change the conversation, “You know I think life may be implanted here from outer space.”

“Oh, how do you know that?” I said. 

“Well I don't know it, and I'm not sure that we can know anything, but it makes sense to me. I believe you should just wake up in the morning and say ‘Thank you,’ and realize how blessed you are.”

“Who are you saying ‘thank you’ to?” I asked.

“Just…whoever is out there,” he said.

“Do you think it matters who you're talking to you?”

“Naw.  What’s important is that you are thankful.”

“Jeremy, let me ask you a question. What do you know of Jesus Christ?”

“Not much. I think he was a good man who taught a lot of good things and he is worth listening to. I think that his teaching and others’ teaching is what is important, we shouldn't get hung up on the person.”

“Jeremy,” I said, “Jesus has some pretty significant things to say. But what is interesting about Jesus is that it was a big deal to him what people thought of him. Other religious teachers put their teaching out front and themselves in the background. They would say, ‘This is the truth as I see it. Go and follow it.’ But Jesus does something different. He puts his teaching in the background, so to speak, and his person in the foreground. He says things like, ‘Follow me.’ He said things like, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father but through me.’”  Jeremy was taking this in.

I continued, “If what the Bible says is true, and we have all broken God's commandments, it is huge what Jesus said. He said that we all stand condemned and we must believe in him in order to receive forgiveness and eternal life.  Don't you think it would be wise to give attention to someone like Jesus?”

“I suppose,” he said. “But I like hanging out here and watching the girls walk by,” he laughed.

“And that's part of the problem, Jeremy.  He sees everything that we do and he knows all our thoughts. And the Bible says that we will all one day die and stand before God and give an account for our lives.  Nothing is more important than to take these things seriously.”

He was nodding his head.  

“Jeremy, I want you to take this booklet and seriously consider your life in light of what it says.  If Jesus is who he says he is, then this means everything.”  He continued nodding his head.  “Will you read it and reflect on what the message is saying?” 

Nodding, he said, “Yeah, I will.”  

“Fair enough.” 

We thanked him for answering our questions and for the conversation.   Annie & I went off and debriefed about the conversation and prayed for Jeremy.   Would you join us?  

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John 6:68, "Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life."

Lord Jesus, I pray that you would reveal yourself to Jeremy in such a way that he will know that there is no life outside of you, and that he would run to you for eternal life.