'HELP MY UNBELIEF' by Ian M Fraser

He said to me, roughly, 'what are you doing at my door? I'm not one of your lot.' I said that I had been appointed to serve the whole Parish not just a congregation, and, since he was in the parish, I was visiting him as I visited others. He looked at me darkly as if my visit were an intrusion. I went on, 'You can shut the door in my face if you want to. What you can't do is prevent my knocking on it.' Reluctantly, maybe conceding that I had a point, he talked to me for a few minutes and then indicated that was enough personal contact as far as he was concerned.

The area took a long time to visit and I went back some weeks later for a second time. He seemed to have softened a bit and was ready to talk with me about justice and injustice in the area. The third time occurred when neighbours told me that he wanted desperately to see me. He grabbed me and pulled me inside. His wife was in hospital. He loved her deeply and was very concerned. He went into detail of how the trouble had developed, and how she was. At the end, he asked if I would pray for his wife and himself, there and then.

I replied that we had begun to respect one another and to understand one another. There was no need for him to 'act religious'. He should feel free to keep the integrity of his own genuine position. His response was immediate: 'Nane o' your bloody nonsense. Get doon on yer knees wi' me and pray for my wife and mysel'.'

So I got down on my knees with the secretary of the Communist Party in Rosyth and we held up in prayer the woman he loved to the God in whom he did not believe.

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