Atheism is understandable.

Attractive too.

Beautiful intellectualism that questions everything

…except itself.

One of my first personal experiences with the evidence for God’s existence was

when I found a pack of firecrackers under a picnic table in the park.

For an 8-year old boy there is no greater treasure.

Better than money because I wasn’t old enough

…to legally buy firecrackers.

I could not imagine who would leave unlit firecrackers behind.

A whole pack!

This could not be intentional.

Maybe the police arrived, forcing a hurried departure.

Maybe the firecrackers fell from a back pocket.

Maybe there was a hole in the fireworks bag.

As I gleefully separated the pack into individual firecrackers

(because it would be wrong to light them all at once)

it didn’t occurred to me that I was reinforcing a belief in God.

Obviously.

Not once did I reason,

These firecrackers probably just appeared under the picnic table. No big deal.

Understand…

…I wished that could happen!

That would be fantastic!

But reality dealt harshly with my childish whimsy.

There is an explanation for firecrackers under picnic tables.

Actually…

…there’s an explanation for anything found under picnic tables.

Nothing profoundly spiritual.

No radical religious proclamation.

Firecrackers under picnic tables have an explanation…

…whether I completely understand it or not.