First: I think, for unbelievers it will always remain a foolishness, that christians believe in (a) God and even love Him. If there is definitely no God (as a unbeliever will claim, than it is foolish to believe in a God. In such a case there is no common basis for talks. And even with an agnostic, who doesn\'t believe but thinks it possible that there maybe a God: to believe in God and to love Him are not explicable with clear reasoning. This goes just as much for the love between two human beings. Why do I love a particular person? In the end: I don\'t know. I can not really explain it. Love happens to me, is a gift and only secondarily a willful decision.
This is true also for the relationship with God. First He loves us and arouses faith and love in us. Only then we can answer willfully.
Secondly: I think that St. Peter with his \\"reason of the hope that is in you\\" means Christ and what He did and what He does for us every day of our life. He gives advice to christians who maybe have to reckon on suffering because they are followers of Christ. Their \\"good conduct\\", their christian behaviour shall shame their adversaries. And now comes this \\"reason of the hope\\": because God loves me, I love Him and my neighbour and even you, who threaten and trouble me. And even if you would kill me - I have this hope in me, because Christ died and rose from the dead and has me connected with His fate in my baptism.
And then one could tell about his experiences with Christ in his daily life that nourish this hope, this faith, this love.
Jannis
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