From the Barbershop

A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation. They talked about so many things and various subjects.

When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.' 'Why do you say that?' asked the customer. 'Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things.'

The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument. The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.

Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair
and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt. The customer turned back and entered the barbershop again and he said to the barber:

'You know what? Barbers do not exist.' 'How can you say that?' asked the surprised
barber. 'I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!'

'No!' the customer exclaimed. 'Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no
people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside.'

'Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me.'

'Exactly!' affirmed the customer. 'That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world.'

Addition by Dr. Morris:

Until I went to college, no one had ever cut my hair except my father. My father was a farmer, a large successful farmer, but his success, like the success of most people, was built around the around the one, never-failing concept of hard work. He farmed during the week, but cut hair at a local barbershop on weekends.

Just before his funeral, at the large family church built by his ancestors, and attended by my grandparents/great grandparents, the funeral director came over and handed me a card that had been attached to one of the many large wreaths. Totally blind since the war, I could not read the card, but just stuck it in my pocket. Later someone read it to me, it was from one of his customers, the local senator and legislator. "In memorial to the only man who was concerned about my soul. The only man who ever asked me about my relationship with Jesus Christ." You see, he farmed, cut hair, did many other things, but his chief interest was in the salvation of souls.

As a child, and that was many years ago, in my home and community, there was little challenge about faith in God. It was only after I matriculated at the university, was exposed to the hordes and whores of hell who teach in these places, that I began to question my religious beliefs. As always, the deceiver, the tempter, as with Eve, from the very beginning, asked questions about why God does not give us sublime knowledge about everything. God is truth and will teach us the truth if we let Him. (John 17:17, John 8:32)

It is all a matter of grace, and His grace is sufficient. His grace was sufficient to settle this matter of inequality at the cross. Every time I encounter a disabled human being, a handicapped pet, some other form of imperfection, instead of asking why, we should ask: why not? Why have I spent most of my life as a blind person; when because of my education, training, I could have done so much more than I have done.

Books have been written on the subject, but God shows the grace of His beings through His workmanship. For we are His workmanship (Ephesians 2:10), living epistles...ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men (2 Corinthians 3:2)