Faith Meets Life: An Ongoing Tale - God is sort of like a raincoat...
“I've been thinking about what we talked about last week,” Tamara said as she sat down with her lunch. “About prayer and Hurricane Katrina, and I guess I can see what you're getting at. Not all prayers are answered with a yes, and that is okay for Christians like you. It doesn't bother you a great deal if God doesn't give you everything you want or everything you think you need. You just keep the conversation going with him anyway. Do I have that right?”
“That's not bad!” Mitch answered. “It's not unusual for people to have their prayers answered in a positive way. But if they aren't, most people who pray this way understand that it is up to God to decide how to answer requests.”
Mitch added that those people trust that God knows what is better for them than they do. Even if it is hard to figure out why some prayers — even very desperate ones — don't get the answer we want, there is trust that God has a good reason. “And that can be a bigger source of empowerment and strengthening than we might at first think.”
“So you say that the idea of God is a source of power or strength,” Tamara questioned between sips of juice.
“Well,” Mitch responded, “I mean that in the sense that trust in God can give you a fantastic reason to keep on living, to keep on doing what you think is important.”
Tamara pointed out that she used the word idea, and Mitch said trust. She wondered if there was a difference between the interpretations.
“I don't think the idea of God alone is going to prove all that helpful,” Mitch explained. “I mean, a lot of people have ideas about God, but unless you actually trust God in a personal way, and in a community of some kind, that idea probably is not going to be much more than a kind of intellectual game.”
Tamara toiled with the explanation. “I think I see what you mean; right now I have some ideas about God, but I don't really take them very seriously. So, I guess I don't really trust him, as you put it.”
Mitch likened the situation to a raincoat so Tamara could understand better.
“If you don't really try it on, you'll never experience it keeping you dry.”
After a forkful of salad, Tamara put down her fork and looked at Mitch. “Don't take this personally please” she said, “but I think that to really trust in God you'd have to be kind of immature. Doesn't it make more sense to try to get through life on your own steam?”
To be continued...
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
“That's not bad!” Mitch answered. “It's not unusual for people to have their prayers answered in a positive way. But if they aren't, most people who pray this way understand that it is up to God to decide how to answer requests.”
Mitch added that those people trust that God knows what is better for them than they do. Even if it is hard to figure out why some prayers — even very desperate ones — don't get the answer we want, there is trust that God has a good reason. “And that can be a bigger source of empowerment and strengthening than we might at first think.”
“So you say that the idea of God is a source of power or strength,” Tamara questioned between sips of juice.
“Well,” Mitch responded, “I mean that in the sense that trust in God can give you a fantastic reason to keep on living, to keep on doing what you think is important.”
Tamara pointed out that she used the word idea, and Mitch said trust. She wondered if there was a difference between the interpretations.
“I don't think the idea of God alone is going to prove all that helpful,” Mitch explained. “I mean, a lot of people have ideas about God, but unless you actually trust God in a personal way, and in a community of some kind, that idea probably is not going to be much more than a kind of intellectual game.”
Tamara toiled with the explanation. “I think I see what you mean; right now I have some ideas about God, but I don't really take them very seriously. So, I guess I don't really trust him, as you put it.”
Mitch likened the situation to a raincoat so Tamara could understand better.
“If you don't really try it on, you'll never experience it keeping you dry.”
After a forkful of salad, Tamara put down her fork and looked at Mitch. “Don't take this personally please” she said, “but I think that to really trust in God you'd have to be kind of immature. Doesn't it make more sense to try to get through life on your own steam?”
To be continued...
Editorial opinions or comments expressed in this online edition of Interrobang newspaper reflect the views of the writer and are not those of the Interrobang or the Fanshawe Student Union. The Interrobang is published weekly by the Fanshawe Student Union at 1001 Fanshawe College Blvd., P.O. Box 7005, London, Ontario, N5Y 5R6 and distributed through the Fanshawe College community. Letters to the editor are welcome. All letters are subject to editing and should be emailed. All letters must be accompanied by contact information. Letters can also be submitted online by clicking here.
