The Getting Real with Hilary Show with Hilary Burns

Guest, Bill Cohen, Why would I write a book about God's only law? Because my whole life led me to it

I had two significant influences, my dad and my grandmother when I was young. And I lived in the space between them.

My dad joined the Merchant Marines during World War II. After the war, he was a professional boxer for a short time, and he taught me to fight for everything I wanted. He believed laws were suggestions to be navigated when they got in the way.

My grandmother escaped from Yugoslavia just before World War I. She was a Catholic and believed Jesus is the Son of God. She went to church every Sunday and lived her life following Jesus. She never preached Jesus. She just lived her belief. I felt her unconditional love and enjoyed countless hours learning from her, from cooking to just sitting down talking about life. I didn't understand the religion, the services were in Latin, and the memorized traditions were confusing; kneeling, standing, sitting, and reciting.

From the time I first remember going to church until I graduated from college, I was wild, and all of my learning about religion came from experiencing my grandmother's love. Once I graduated, my beliefs were tossed from wave to wave. They were continually influenced by the girl I was dating at the time or the friends I was hanging out with. Serious thought was not part of the process.

Then, one day I was 40 years old and had two young children. I was now responsible. What did it all mean? How was I going to teach them about life? What could I possibly bring to the table?

So, I began studying philosophers' beliefs, for they had devoted their lives to the subject. In chronological order, I systematically went through them from Socrates's logical arguments and his belief in a god, through Thomas Aquinas' first mover, and finally C.S. Lewis' attempt to validate his atheism, which led him to Jesus and the God of the Bible. Then, Lewis led me to read the Bible. So, I read the Bible daily, finishing it once a year for the next four years. Each time I read it, more layers of the truth became evident. Nothing else I had ever read was more truthful when viewed through the lens of real life.

In the past 30 years, many people have aided me in searching for the truth of this life. I am grateful for their caring and the love they have shown me. Some had provided insight when verses were confusing, some lived God's love as examples, and some challenged me when I was off the path to eternity. Here is a very partial list of those Godly souls: Mary Brajkovich, Billy Graham, George Vandeman, Dick Alesch, Steve Tiebout, Mark Finley, Shawn Boonstra, Mark Ferrell, Michael Youssef, Matt Chandler, and finally, the love of my life, Gail Cohen.

One of God's gifts to me is the ability to condense complicated information, leaving the essence to be absorbed without the distractions of unnecessary details. This is probably why I was drawn to a degree in Computer Science. This gift, and the challenge the Bible presents, is the reason for this book. May you see the heart of the Lord in the pages you are about to read, and may His law of love draw you to Him, as it did me.