There are No Barbers

      A man visited his barber. As always, they struck up a conversation. As they talked, the discussion turned to religious matters.

      The barber finally said, “I just don’t believe in all that God nonsense. I’ll prove it to you. Look outside. If God were really out there, would there be so many broken homes and abandoned children? If God were really out there, would there be so many people starving? If God were really out there, would there be so many people in pain and suffering? Nope. I say God doesn’t exist. If He did, He would do something about all this.

      The customer wasn’t sure how to respond and sat there quietly. The barber finished and the man walked out. On the sidewalk, he saw a man with ragged long hair. He came back to the barber and said, “Barbers don’t exist.”

      “But here I am to prove it.”

      “No, barbers don’t exist. Look outside. If barbers were really there, would there be people with such long ragged hair.”

      The barber replied, “Well, I exist, but not everyone comes to me. That is why there are people with long, ragged hair.”

      “Exactly,” the Christian responded. “The same is true with God. He exists, but not everyone will come to Him. That is why there is so much sin, suffering and pain.”

      There was a time when no one suffered any pain. No one got sick. No one hurt. But then a serpent entered the garden and sin entered the world (Genesis 3). Since that time, Satan has continued his influential work. People have turned their backs on God, have committed sin and we have a world of suffering because of it.

      Does suffering mean our God doesn’t exist? Or does it merely mean everyone hasn’t turned to the loving God.

      Sadly, because our world is so governed by sin, even when a few of us do turn to God, we still suffer. Sometimes we suffer because we turned to God (II Timothy 3:12). However, a time is coming when those who turned to God and still suffered will suffer no longer.

      In that time, we will learn that all the suffering was worth it because the glory that will be revealed to us and through us will be worth it all (Romans 8:18). We will see God and we will be with Him for eternity. There we will be able to rejoice with exultation and glorify our God for eternity without fear of suffering.

      But to ever enjoy that comfort, that peace, that joy, we have to turn to God. Have you?

Edwin L. Crozier