Article September 4, 1989 Issue

God is real and tangible

When we depend on God we can actually feel His presence.

John W. Williams

One summer, between my sophomore and junior years in college, I lived in a southern California community known for its counterculture life style. Not far away was a United States Marine Corps training base. During their first leave after weeks in boot camp, some of the young recruits would let off steam by cruising the streets of our neighborhood, looking for people to harass. I had heard about the tensions between the local residents and the marines.

I was walking home late one night, with my arms loaded with groceries from an all-night supermarket. It was very obvious, in the quiet summer heat, that I had become the center of attention for a carload of young men. As I stopped at a street corner, the car would stop. When I proceeded, it kept pace. A glance over my shoulder revealed that I was being closely watched by the four or five young men in it.

I knew that one of my options for action was to turn to God. The other options—dropping my groceries and running, or confrontation—were really not options at all.

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