Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7.Now OK, it's a bit out of place, but this is truly lovely. It turns out that the passage goes on with some other really nice stuff:
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.(I looked it up.) These are beautiful passages, and striking. (One person I know translated the first as "Don't worry, be happy," which is probably reasonable if a little less poetic.) A god that is a god of peace, and passes it on to his believers when they have worries. A god that will help you resolve your problems, if you pray to him. I like that.
I sort of wonder why I don't see more passages like this from evangelicals trying to gain converts. I find most of the commonly used passages fall completely flat, unless you already believe. (I particularly like the passages shown to us infidels that are the equivalent of "Everything written on this piece of paper is true.") But this passage has a certain beauty and a certain appeal in and of itself. It's the closest anything ever came to "converting" me, but still, atheist I remain.
But it does at least make me want to believe.
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