Atheists, Dog Tails, and Believing in the Invisible

My dog learned a fun new trick. She wags her tail with excitement and runs up our stairs to greet me at the top—and she does this by standing on her hind legs in an effort to push me backwards down the stairs.

Recently, she was sitting with her mouth wide open with a really bewildered look on her face. Her mouth was so remarkably wide that I pointed it out to my wife, Sue. It was then that I realized that I had inadvertently clicked her collar on (from the back) while the front was in her mouth.

Earlier that day, Sue had asked me an unusual question about dogs. She asked what it is that makes a dog’s tail wag. I could’ve given the obvious answer: the dog. But I didn’t. Mainly because I couldn’t adequately answer her question, I just said, “It’s a happy indicator.” And it is. God has put the dog’s smile at the other end.

“An atheist stumbles at the thought of believing in an invisible Creator. He thinks of himself as a rational human being who isn’t so foolish to believe in something he can’t see. But to be consistent, he shouldn’t believe that there’s such a thing as gravity, because it’s invisible.”

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I could have gone intellectual and talked about how neurons in the dog’s brain send electrical impulses in the form of instructions through an intricate highway of nerves that make their way to the tail in an instant, telling it to wag. Or I could have said that it’s just one of the wonders of evolution—if I was an unthinking atheist. But I’m not. I believe that the wagging of the dog’s tail not only displays the creative genius of God but also displays the benevolent heart of our invisible Creator. He delights those who are made in His image. Any dog joyfully wagging its tail is a delightful sight, and it almost always puts a smile on our face.

But an atheist stumbles at the thought of believing in an invisible Creator. He thinks of himself as a rational human being who isn’t so foolish to believe in something he can’t see. But to be consistent, he shouldn’t believe that there’s such a thing as gravity, because it’s invisible. Nor should he believe in time. That can’t be seen.

We believe in many things that are invisible—such as thoughts, emotions, sounds, oxygen, dreams, memories, hope, logic, justice, joy, energy, history, and magnetism.

Then there’s trust. It’s invisible. But it binds human relationships. Any marriage that isn’t founded on trust is sure to crumble.

Then there’s the invisible opposite of trust: fear. It can’t be seen, but it is so real. It can even paralyze us if we let it. And it is trust that is the unseen force that keeps the Christian from fear. It’s a shield that protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. Trust in the invisible Jesus is the essence of our salvation:

…at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith—the salvation of your souls. (1 Peter 1:7-9)

Make sure you don’t miss our dog box.