To Be Least

Charles Templeton was an evangelist, preaching the truth of God’s Word to thousands in packed arenas. Until, that is, he abandoned the faith and turned agnostic. He wrote several books, one of which was entitled, Farewell to God: My Reason for Rejecting the Christian Faith.

During a home interview for a book, The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel, Strobel asks Templeton why he turned agnostic.

Templeton begins to talk about the poverty and pain in the world and how a loving God could not allow such things to happen. So, he explains, there cannot be a God.

As the interview progresses, Strobel asked his what he thought about Jesus. Templeton replied saying that Jesus was the greatest man that ever lived and that the world would do well to model after him. Then, he unexpectedly said this:

“Uh…but…no,” he said slowly, “he’s the most…” He stopped, then started again. “In my view,” he declared, “he is the most important human being who ever existed.”

That’s when Templeton uttered the words I never expected to hear from him. “And if I may put it this way,” he said as his voice began to crack, “I…miss…him!”

With that, tears flooded his eyes. He turned his head and looked downward, raising his left hand to shield his face from me. His shoulder bobbed as he wept.

He missed the Savior who he once knew. Under the arguments and the logic, the truth was found. Templeton missed his Savior. He knew the truth, but had rejected it.