An atheist was walking through the woods, admiring the beauty of nature around him.
“What majestic trees! What powerful rivers! What beautiful animals!” he said to himself.
As he walked along a river, he suddenly heard rustling in the bushes behind him.
He turned around and saw a huge grizzly bear charging straight at him.
The man took off running as fast as he could.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw that the bear was getting closer.
A moment later, he looked again, and the bear was even nearer.
In his panic, he tripped over a tree root and crashed to the ground.
As he rolled over to get up, he saw the bear standing right above him, reaching toward him with one paw while raising the other to strike.
At that very moment, the atheist cried out,
“Oh my God!”
Suddenly, time stopped.
The bear froze.
The forest became completely silent.
A bright light shone down from above, and a voice spoke from the sky:
“You have denied my existence for all these years, taught others that I do not exist, and credited creation to mere accident. Do you now expect me to help you? Am I to count you as a believer?”
The atheist looked into the light and replied,
“It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to make me a Christian… but could you make the bear a Christian?”
“Very well,” said the voice.
The light disappeared.
The sounds of the forest returned.
The bear lowered his raised paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head, and said,
“Lord, bless this food which I am about to receive from Thy bounty through Christ our Lord. Amen.”