Day 297 - Where is my God?

 

Apparently, I’m heckling God.

A Christian told me so. I had been unaware that my blogs were interrupting God's sermon or speech, but now I know. Perhaps I am lucky not to get thrown out of the audience? And beaten up down some alley?

The reaction from other believers towards my prayer strike has been mixed. A lot of them are very understanding and are kind towards me. That is much appreciated. But then there are others who are less than happy with what I’m doing (or, more accurately, with what I’m not doing). Reactions vary from, 'You should pray continually!' through to a downright antagonism, as if my ‘not praying’ is somehow so totally against the party line that I’m, in fact, the enemy. The believer who said I was heckling God went on to say that I have become God's enemy (which was news to me). Kinder people tell be to express my feelings to God but I see no reason to continually restate them to the Almighty. I'm not God's enemy, but that doesn't mean I have to like the things he does (and doesn't do).

I don't think, before this, that I had been even aware of the pressure to pray. But it is there, either through pressing circumstances, wars, pandemics, earthquakes or Popes and Archbishops telling everyone that they should pray. It’s like a kind of mental torture - 'Pray, damn you!'. My respect for those who choose not to has increased significantly (even if I did the same for my first 19 years).

And, of course, when there is ‘big trouble’ © in the world, the Popes, the Archbishops and the believers tell everyone to pray (and if that doesn't work, ‘pray more and pray harder’). I'm pretty sure it’s the only plan of most faith leaders.

We have just had a pandemic and some earthquakes and now we are straight into more war. When is God going to give us a break? Of course, no-one blames God for the latest war (surely he is innocent?). Even my calling for a ceasefire last week set some people off. Choose a side, are you a mod or are you a rocker?

'I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse.'

That's in the Bible, in the context of talking about the nation of Israel and there are actually people who put their entire prosperity (and the non-prosperity of others) down to that scripture. I've read some of their blogs and listened to their interviews. They genuinely believe they get bonus points with the Almighty if a country supports Israel. And if a country does not.... then Judgement and Wrath!

God would do that. He’s so obsessed.

They actually divide countries up into 'sheep' and 'goat' nations. You can probably guess who the goodies and who the baddies are. So, of course, the UK and the US must be sheep nations because they (at least vocally) support Israel. And all those goat nations just happen to be our political enemies. Russia, China, Iran. Funny how our enemies are always the goat nations isn't it? So much nationalism and political pride and religion all mixed together in one potent, intoxicating brew. I am no longer sure that the UK is a ‘sheep nation’ in any meaningful sense, apart from the fact that people like me are sheeple. I think we are probably a goat nation. Or maybe an ibex nation. Because we don't do the right thing and our Government doesn't look after its poor and vulnerable and we’re not even very good at looking after each other, are we?

Britain is a goat nation. Well, some of us happen to like (and even feel like) goats so don't feel as if I'm talking the country down.

It's one hell of a plan and solution... 'Pray'. The entire blueprint to a future vision, surely (a vision which our leaders seem to noticeably lack)? Society, and civilization, it seems to me, are threadbare and not very good at functioning in a crisis. Sneak in one night and unlock the secret archives at the very top of the faith institutions and it wouldn't surprise me if you found a golden filing cabinet with a top-secret file in it and a tiny piece of paper revealing their big plan and vision for humanity!  And scrawled in a spidery text by a nervous hand....

 

Top secret:

Plan A… Pray?

Plan B… Pray?

Plan C… Run away.

 

Our shepherds could surely do no more than make their plans for us?

But I wouldn't want to heckle the Almighty…

Baaaa…