Wednesday 15 August 2007

Persuasion

It's night on an oil rig in the Persian gulf. The three engineers on duty are up on the top desk enjoying the clear night sky. There's a Brit, and Egyptian Coptic Christian and a Jordanian Muslim. "Glory to God for the beauty of the heavens." says the the Copt, "Indeed, praise to Allah", says the Muslim, and to the silent Brit he says, "Well, don't you think it's wonderful, worthy of praise to the Almighty?" Well, says the Brit, "I'm not too sure about any of that stuff, whether there's anything apart from what we can see for ourselves and investigate."

Then begins a conversation until dawn in which the Christian and the Muslim together earnestly and warmly strive to persuade the Brit to open his heart and mind to 'things unseen' (or unseeable) . It was the Brit who told me the story, some years later, after church one Sunday afternoon, still in search of 'things unseen', persuaded at least on a previous night, that it was worth the effort.

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