The cultivation of the mind is a kind of food supplied for the soul of man.

Marcus Tullius Cicero De Finibus Bonorum et Malorum Vol. 19 (45-44 B.C.)

I entered Sam Houston State Park armed with my books which were going to bring me knowledge and lead me to the threshold of revelation. I rented a “cabin”. It was actually just a screened-in single room. I opened my cot and spread the sleeping bag out on it. It was a Friday night, and I was very tired.

I wish I could remember all the books I brought with me; but, I can remember only the Bible, “A Thousand Days” (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.’s treatment of the brief administration of President Kennedy), “The “Aeneid” (a Latin epic poem written by Virgil in the late 1st century BC (29–19 BC) that tells the legendary story of Aeneas, a Trojan who traveled to Italy, where he became the ancestor of the Romans), and “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich” by William L. Shirer (I don’t know why in the heck I brought this one).

There was a controversial book published a few years earlier entitled “The Passover Plot” which advanced a theory that Jesus did not die on the cross (He was drugged and only appeared dead, the book alleged) and was not resurrected (the drugs wore off). It was just a plot to “sell” the new religion which would later become known as “Christianity”. I brought this one along to challenge my mind and my beliefs.

There was no light; so, I took out my first book and a flashlight and began my journey to knowledge. It was the Bible. I began reading the New Testament-looking for validation of the religion in which I was raised.

I soon felt a presence surrounding me, and I was frightened. I was in the woods alone and - for a city boy used to the constant assault of light from street lights, porch lights, etc. - it looked very dark to me. My mouth was suddenly dry as I shined the light though the screen enclosure and into the woods.

The light glistened off two glowing objects side by side. It was an animal and its eyes had caught the beam of my flashlight. I gingerly moved close to the screen. Then, I recognized the form of a deer. I love animals, so I was both pleased and relieved.

But then, I was startled as the deer spoke to me.

“What are you looking for?” the deer asked.

I was frozen and did not answer.

“I asked you a question.”

Gaining some control of my mouth, I uttered softly, “knowledge.”

“Very good! Knowledge will validate your faith. Faith is what is most important. Read all of those books that you brought with you and many more. Learn from books and learn from people; but, leave your mind open to learn from sources that you cannot see.”

“But, my faith is weak – I don’t know what to believe.”

“Faith is belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. Faith is the realization of what is hoped for and evidence of things not seen. The only way that you can deal with reality is through faith,” said the deer.

“But, where can I find faith in God?”

The deer replied: “Look in the mirror – one validation of faith is right in front of those miraculous instruments of yours called “eyes.” You will see God’s greatest creation – created on the final day of creation – His Gold Medal performance – you.”

The deer elaborated: “Do you give God any credit for what you have - for example - your mind? Let me tell you about your mind. There are approximately 1011 (10 with 11 zeros behind it) neurons in the brain. They are the circuit elements and switches that are responsible in their electrical and chemical activity for the functioning of our minds.”

“A typical brain neuron has perhaps a thousand little “wires”, called “dendrites,” which connect it with its colleagues. If every bit of information in the brain corresponds to one of these connections, the total number of things knowable by the brain is more than 1014 – one hundred trillion bits of knowledge. This is astonishing. This is how concert pianists can perform concertos containing many thousands of notes on stage without music. This is how the genius who thought-up that music and wrote those notes on paper can do that. The paradox is that some people use this wonderful gift from God not in a spirit of gratefulness but, rather, to convince themselves that there is no God.”

“And that is just one part of your miraculous body. There are also 206 bones, close to 1,000 muscles, 60,000 miles of blood vessels, and organic machines called “organs” that that animate the body and usually repair themselves. The human body is a complex machine that can keep running in many cases for over 100 years. But, you are just one example of one species of a universe of life on Earth and in the universe. The elements and compounds making up your body were forged by God in the stars that make up His most expansive creation – the universe.”

“Where does your wisdom come from?, I asked. “Does it come from the Bible?”

“It is in the Bible, but it existed long before people were inspired to write it down.”

“How can a deer answer these perplexing questions about Faith? How can a deer even talk?” I asked.

“I only appear to you as a deer.”

“Then what are you?”

“I am nothing and I am everything. The moment anyone tries to explain me, they instantly fail. They know that I am here, but they do not know how. They do not know what I am, but they feel my presence.”

To Be Continued in the next issue

NOTE: The dialogue in this article was constructed from the impressions I received during my encounter with the deer and do not represent actual conversation. The gifts of Wisdom and Understanding that I gained that night were, however, very real.

The article “A Journey to Faith, Part I – College Days” is archived at http://www.newsnet713.com/Article161.htm.

The article “A Journey to Faith, Part II – The Year of Our Lord 1968” is archived at http://www.newsnet713.com/Article162.htm.