Sunday, December 19, 2010

GAMING?

Today in church the sermon was about gaming God. I hadn't thought about it, but this really brought home a lot about my life. Father talked about the times in our lives when we have our backs against the wall and we make a deal with God. I was there. When I was on the plane to SE Asia I was gaming God. I made a deal with Him about getting me out safely. If He did it I'd be a better Catholic. The priests at the base I came from passed out rosaries and I took one with no particular idea that I would use it more than I had in the past. On the plane, I don't mind telling you I was working those beads! Of course, when I came back I wasn't the Christian I should have been. I got out in one piece and I'm happy about that.

When I was a cop I gamed God a lot. I prayed for my safety every night. My wife gave me a medal (a Catholic thing) of St. Michael the Archangel, the patron saint of police. I got out of the job basically in one piece and I'm glad it's over.

Father nailed it. Nearly forty years later I hadn't thought of gaming God until Father brought it up. Now I am in the position of trying to think of how I can make up for that. Is God upset that we game Him?

9 comments:

Ducky's here said...

Upset? No, just absent.

Joe "Truth 101" Kelly said...

I imagine God is just like our earthly fathers when we ask them for the car keys and promise to be extra careful. Or promise to do the dishes if we get the new game.

He just shrugs His shoulders and says "Yeah. Right."

Law and Order Teacher said...

Ducky,
Do you mean He ignores us when we game him?

Truth,
As usual you have got to the point. God saying "Yeah right." Good visual.

Ducky's here said...

In a way L&A.

I don't tend to see God as an active physical force. However, our actions as communities of faith can have very significant impact. I believe that we have to be guided by conscious and religious teaching to be the agents of a divine will.

Tapline said...

L&O Teach, Been there, done that.... I didn't realize other people who have been at death's door do what I have experienced more than once. ducky,,,,Very deep and right on target....stay well

Law and Order Teacher said...

Ducky,
Do you consider yourself a deist?

Tap,
Thanks for the visit. I've been trying to sort my thoughts out for some time. I'm working at it.

Ducky's here said...

Well L&A I believe that the one thing we can know about God is that we can't completely know God.

I would consider myself a Christian existentialist. Gabriel Marcel, Miguel Unamuno, Kierkegaard.

Law and Order Teacher said...

Ducky,
Thanks. I'll check them out. I'm kind of familiar with Kierkegaard but not the others.

Ducky's here said...

We need God, not in order to understand the why, but in order to feel and sustain the ultimate wherefore, to give a meaning to the universe.
--- Miguel de Unamuno