In my teenage years, I relegated Christian stories I'd heard at my Church of England Primary School to the fantasy scribblings of fairytales. The Gospel was no more truthful to me than Jack and his beanstalk and God no more real than the Golden Goose! 

 

I arrived at University closed-minded to religion and unwilling to budge. It at this time God placed a CU member (let's call him Sam) in my first-year flat. The flat gang went to some Christian Union events to spend time with Sam, and I ended up quite liking the stories and morals I heard. Nonetheless, God was still far from real to me.

 

It was at a CU Christmas event in my second year that a very inquisitive Sam asked where I stood on God, the Bible and everything. I rebutted "well it's all very warm and nice, but I think it's pretty impossible to make me believe a man called Jesus existed 2000 years ago - much less that he was God's son!"

 

This retort did not have the stunning effect I had expected, Sam calmly reminded me that the famous Julius Cesar lived only a century before Jesus Christ, and I had no problem accepting his existence. 

 

After this, the path opened up. One JC opened my mind to the other. I read two excellent books on the historical Jesus (Jesus for Sceptics and A Case for Christ). I picked up a bible and dove headfirst into God's love. 

 

This bible studying began in the infamous lockdown of 2020, here God had blessed me with the time and space to read through his word and personally come to know him. I know this was a rough time for most concerned, but it was a gift for me! 

 

As I look forward, I ask that you will pray that I grow closer to God and the Spirit each day. 

 

And I will pray that He may bless you with an open mind and an open heart to hear his teachings and receive His love. 

 

God Speed! - Adam