‘Keep thinking. Keep asking’ An open letter to Steven Bartlett

Dear Steven,

I discovered your podcast about a year ago. As a business owner, mum, and health-keeno, I love your insightful chats with thought leaders and subject-matter experts from all over the world. 

As a Christian, your recent chat with Wes Huff strengthened me spiritually no end. Your episode with John Lennox, last week, however, was even more special because of the way you honestly shared your faith journey and your desire to know the truth. Thank you for being so open-minded and vulnerable. This conversation will help many people.

I’m sure you’ll agree with me that Lennox presents convincing reasoning for the claims of Jesus, the historical reliability of the Bible, and how faith can go hand-in-hand with logical thinking.

But when it comes to taking that step of faith to believe in Jesus and follow Him, we have to be more than open-minded. We have to be open-hearted too.

Lennox used an analogy about how you won’t know “that the water is lovely” until you jump in for yourself. He can tell you what it’s like, and so can I, but you can’t ultimately know for yourself until you let Him in.

Even Christians who have walked a life of faith for 70-odd years, like Lennox, will tell you that there will still be questions and doubts. But ultimately, I hope that your recent interactions with Christian apologists have convinced you that taking a step of faith to become a Christ-follower doesn’t mean leaving your brain or reasoning behind. 

So keep thinking. Keep asking.

In your chat with Lennox, you brought up the very real problem of suffering when it comes to believing that God is both good and all-powerful.

None of us are immune to pain in life. I’ve noticed there is often a question behind the question when it comes to the problem of suffering.

Years ago, as a schools worker in the north of England, a year 11 student grilled me on the problem of suffering for their RE GCSE in front of the whole class.

But when that lad found me at the after-school club, over Nutella and toast, he asked me how a loving God could allow his mum to die of cancer when he was 9. 

The kid who publicly roasted me came to me in private, tears in his eyes. All I could tell him was that God’s heart breaks for his pain and the loss of his beloved mother.

God cares about each of our personal pains. So I would encourage you to be brutally honest with God. He can take our anger, rage, and despair, which are our human responses to pain.

I also find it interesting how Christianity is the only worldview that offers any hope in the face of pain and suffering. 

Atheism claims suffering is random within a purposeless universe. There can be no comfort in it or justice for it, because it doesn’t mean anything. So your pain doesn’t really matter. Furthermore, if there is no God, there can be no category of good or evil, so what makes suffering objectively wrong?

Christianity, on the other hand, faces suffering head-on. The God of Christianity isn’t watching from a distance to see how you handle his test. Instead, he dove into the mess of humanity and chose to enter human suffering. He experienced grief, injustice, and death. So he understands everything we could ever face, and he promises to be with us in it. What’s more, he has secured a future where evil, suffering, and death are finally defeated through his death and resurrection.

Steven, I loved your comment that many of the Christians you interviewed have a sense of peace and security about them.

Lennox attributes his peace - even when he thought he might not survive an operation several years ago and said his goodbyes to his wife - to God’s love. He knows he is forgiven and accepted by God, and he knows where he is going after he dies - to be with Jesus. 

The apostle Paul identified this peace that makes no sense - a supernatural, steady calm that defies human logic or stressful circumstances (Philippians 4:7).

You’ve often shared that you have a deep desire for fulfillment despite all your success in business. As you’re discovering, accolades, wealth, or recognition will never ultimately satisfy us as humans because we were made for more. 

You already seem convinced that humans need meaning, purpose, love, forgiveness, and hope. The question isn’t whether those desires exist. The question is whether they point to something real, and whether that ‘something’ might be God.

So please keep exploring the root of this peace and meaning. 

As Lennox points out, Christianity doesn’t ask people to stop thinking; it invites them to follow the evidence wherever it leads.

So keep asking honest questions. Dare to talk about your pain with God. Read the Gospels for yourself and explore the big questions: Who was Jesus? Did he really rise from the dead? Are his claims true?

Finally, try praying. Even if you’re not sure anyone is listening. I dare you to give it a try and see what happens.

And keep up the amazing work with DOAC!

With love,

Becky