Apologetics and Emptiness

I used to be, and to a certain extent still am, fascinated by reading apologetics materials. Debates and papers, books and magazine articles that attempt to fend off criticism of God, the Bible, the Church, Christianity, etc., all hold an important place in my mind. Years ago when confronted with skeptics it thrilled my heart and opened up new worlds for me when I discovered books like Mere Christianity and The Evidence that Demands a Verdict. These books and those like them helped me to understand that thinking people can reasonably believe in the story of Jesus and everything that goes along with it. But I soon discovered that endless research and vigorously devouring any and all apologetic writings still left me feeling hungry. What I mean is, these things point you to the real thing but can't take the place of it. Apologetics doesn't comfort in times of sadness. Debate can never produce real life change. It's filler but not filling. It has its place. We don't need to be unthinking or shun reason. It's just that God hasn't chosen to reveal Himself through the world's wisdom. Paul said as much if you don't believe me. I'm no anti-intellectual but apologetics can be like Chinese food, you can eat a lot and be hungry a few hours later. It's not "the Bible and nothing else," but if you only have time for one or the other, opt for the Bible. Feast on it and snack on the rest. Not the other way around.