What Proof Do You Require?

I was out in the hills alone praying and a being appeared as if by magic and said, “I am God.”

I said, “Prove it.”

“I just appeared to you out of nowhere. Is that not proof?”

“It’s true that you appeared out of nowhere, but how is that proof of anything except that you appeared out of nowhere?”

“How about if I turn into a flame, or levitate or change form, or make those rocks talk, or some other miracle, would that convince you?”

“It would convince me that you can do those things, but not that you are anything but a knowledgeable and powerful being.”

“What definition do you give to the word, God?” He asked. “What proof do you require?”

“I used to think that God was all powerful, all knowing and all present,” I said.

He said, “Well that doesn’t work, because for you to know that I am all powerful, all knowing and all present, YOU would have to be all powerful, all knowing and all present, but....you can believe me, can’t you?”

“NO. I can’t just believe you. I need proof and evidence to know, proof like that which is given in a courtroom. I need documentation.”

“Well you didn’t create yourself, the earth, the solar system, the universe. I did that.”

“Prove it.”

“I don’t have time for this,” He said. “You’ll just have to have hope, belief and have faith that what I am telling you is true.”

“Hope, belief and faith,” I said, “prove nothing. Why would you even say such a thing?”

“Because until you know what I know, you CAN’T know, and hope, belief and faith are the paths to knowing, but of themselves are not knowing. Have hope, belief and faith in all possibilities, but only hold fast to that which proves true. People often confuse hope, belief and faith with knowing. They use the words interchangeably, but they do not mean the same thing. The purpose of hope, belief and faith is to gain knowledge, understanding and wisdom; they are not substitutes for them. Use them wisely.”

“Well if you are God, you could certainly increase by knowing by showing me things about creation, and then at least I would NOT have to hope, believe or have faith about those things, since knowing a thing ends the need to have hope, belief or faith in that thing.”

“Well said. I will think about that.” And then he disappeared.

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