December 5, 2015
God Isn’t Fixing This and that is freaking people out.
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Last Sunday, like many pastors, I stood before a congregation asked what folk were joyful about and what they were concerned about. A few joys, a few concerns, and Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood—seems like a long time ago now, doesn’t it?—were mentioned. And we prayed.
Tuesday I sat in the Living Room of a 64-year-old who lost his wife last May. We prayed.
Wednesday I sat in a coffee shop and listened as a fifty-something spoke about the hardships of life lived and hope of tomorrow. I prayed.
Thursday I walked the pasture and then to the edge of the creek. Frozen snow cracked underfoot, a sentry Quail yelled “Chicago,” and a coyote broke through the bush. I prayed.
And I am not much of a pray-er.
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I have not read the NY Daily News article folk are talking about, but dealing with the headline words alone, I agree, God is not going to fix this problem of mass shootings or shootings at all. Hell, not only is Colorado Springs old news in light of San Bernardino, it is hard to remember the shooting at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg, Oregon in October, and the February Pasco, Washington shooting-lynching of Antonio Zambrano-Montes is long since forgotten. There is no prayer, to any God “out there,” that is going to fix or end the killings of our brothers and sisters.
Yet prayer matters because a bit of the Creator resides in all of Creation. Within Creation, within folk is the restorative creativeness that will bring about harmony. The first step, for those who pray, toward finding restorative creativeness is prayer. Prayer helps the pray-er grasp they have the Creators creative ability to bring about health, wellbeing, and balance. The pray-er can actively heal.
Healing, though, comes by perceiving prayer and creativeness as words of action. Neither is passive. Both are proactive. Prayer and creativeness are causative rather than inert or lifeless and calls for advance action rather than scrabbling response. Healing occurs when the pray-er gains strength from prayer to actively engage change.
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God Isn’t Fixing This, but the people of God can.
Chewing the Cud 
Yes, yes. Our passivity and weakness on responding to the real causes of terrorism both domestic and international can only be remedied by prayer and listening to brothers and sisters “in Christ” in countries like Iraq. The four percent of Iraqi Christians warned us to avoid vengeance in response to 9/11 and not invade. What has happened they told us would happen. Isn’t it time to embrace peace, lasting peace following the wisdom of Rev. A.J. Muste, “There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.”
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Thank you! And thanks for the Muste quote! One I should have locked in, but do not. Be well!
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