I just watched the testimony of Lauren Booth, Tony Blair’s sister-in-law, about her conversion to Islam, which was sealed in a Shi’ite shrine in Iran (see it here). While there, she said she had a feeling of overwhelming peace and absolute joy, and knew that her life would never be the same again. And she now knows, she said, that Islam is a religion of compassion, love, and joy. There are two critical components in a genuine encounter with God: truth and the concomitant feelings. The most important is truth. I shall never forget my conversion in 1974. I wrestled with the truth of the gospel for six months before submitting to the Lord Christ, and then for another nine months I went through times of deep profound spiritual warfare. At times, all that kept me was the truth of the resurrection of Christ, not my feelings. I learned a very valuable lesson in those months: the truth of the gospel stands independently of my feelings. To be sure, there were positive feelings of joy at the very outset, but so often there were deep spiritual testings as well.
I do not doubt the feelings Lauren Booth has had. But, if they are not yoked to truth, they speak of another source than the true and living God.
HT: Luis Dizon on Facebook