Rebuking the Ark

I was really interested in this story my executive pastor sent to me this morning. It seems evangelical explorers (I didn't know they divided them on theological stance these days) have discovered what appears to be Noah's Ark on Mount Ararat in present day Turkey. It's an interesting story but it's not the first time that the "ark" has been discovered on that mountain so I'm restrained in my jubilation until there is more information to come out.

Let me make this clear. I am a firm believer that the story of Noah was real. In my thinking, there was a real big boat with all the animals and a real world-wide flood that God brought on the earth. I don't have a problem with any of that.

The problem for me began when I started to read the comments that followed the article. They were bitter, abusive, hate-filled and just nasty. They called people who believed in the story of Noah names like "ignorant", "buffoons", "immature" and "moronic." Even the milder ones were making comments like "how could anyone in their right mind believe in such a story?"

Why is it that such a thing as this would bring such backlash? Why, in a world that screams tolerance and openness, does everyone have room for everything but a belief in a real God with a really reliable Bible?

Some of the comments would have made you believe that the writer of the story had just revealed that the reader's mom was a three-headed alien from Mars or something. It was ridiculous the level of response that came from the commenters.

After giving it some thought, here is what I think is the source of their reaction--fear. Fear that the presence of an ark might mean the story is real. And, if the story is real, then despite their best efforts to prove otherwise, so is the Bible. If the Bible is real, then so is God. This takes away their ability to deny Him, to live life on their terms and to belittle those who believe otherwise.

Whether this is the ark or not--whether they ever find the boat that carried Noah and the animals at all--they will find out some day that their fears were justified. God is real. The story of Noah is just as real. And I pray the "enlightened ones" who filled that comment page today learn this truth before they are shown the price for true ignorance.