Where is Hashem?

I was talking to my pianofortical friend tRP today, and he complained about having no skills in mekareving atheists. Actually, that’s what I told him his problem was. This was prompted by him complaining that he’d invited an atheist friend of his to a Friday night dinner, and the friend refused, asking never to be invited again, explaining that he doesn’t want to do “anything religious” (what a weird notion for an atheist, huh?).

tRP’s response was: “What’s so religious about spending time with friends at a Friday night dinner?”

But that’s what’s ironic about this situation. An atheist sees a table with a bunch of Jews, some of whose heads and sometimes elbows are covered, with a rabbi in a hat (and a face covered with moss), candles, and children with angelic faces and thinks: “Religion! G-d! Cult! Fundamentalism!”

While a religious person at the table (or, even a frum person) is thinking: “Hey, I am just relaxing with my buddies. It’s Shabbos. Time to chill.” Even when the rabbi gives over a sicho which he looked through 15 minutes before Mincha, most people don’t really think about G-d. For them, it’s usually time to turn off their brains. And for the most part, discussion is never about Yiddishkeit.

So, ironically, the atheist should have nothing to worry about. I mean, he should, but he doesn’t.

As to the question what to do to mekarev him, my answer was: “Don’t talk to him about religion. Talk to him about life.” Unless his name is Marvin. In that case, don’t talk to him about life.

Also, now that we are on the topic of pianoforticism, TRS has recently called me a snob for saying that classical music is better at relaying emotions than rap is (I know what you’re thinking: a pot calling a kettle black. I agree). But listen to the following playing. Not a single note is wasted. It’s like I am seeing Brahms right in front me, smoking his pipe, drinking his beer, eating his sausage and crying, crying...