Comments on: The Dave Test

By: Pat Schroer

Pat Schroer — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 16:13:11 +0000

Prayers will ascend for Dave. His story is a humbling one…

By: Elaine Hood Culver

Elaine Hood Culver — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 00:57:01 +0000

I’m glad that Dave has found two good friends who can speak some deep sense to his situation. What answer is there? I can only speak from my own experience with the ups and downs of life. For me, it’s been keeping Holy Week, especially the Great Three Days, every year. A wise priest once said about Holy Week, “This is ultimate reality, and we can’t ever understand ultimate reality. All we can do is participate in it.”
Maybe this is what Dave’s friends are able to convey to him: it’s bad stuff, but we’re with you, and we’re not going to saddle you with nonsense on top of everything else you have to put up with. We’re with you.”
Prayers for Dave, and thanksgiving for his friends, who have the integrity to “tell the truth and shame the devil.”

By: Larry

Larry — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 20:32:48 +0000

In other words, no tricks, no lies, no quiet stabbings. Or as Reinhold Niebuhr put it, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things that I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” Humbling, isn’t it?

By: Martha

Martha — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 17:26:21 +0000

As usual, very well said! It reminds me of Heather’s comment about wanting to hear something that she can hold onto during the week when she wants to kill her kids (a sentiment that most parents can readily identify with!).

By: Mark Goode

Mark Goode — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 14:12:48 +0000

Dave’s “real reason” for not going to church, Reason #3, is a good one. So many preachers have positioned Christianity as a sort of magical system, to wit: “believe this, and God will do that.” Some of their teachings have less sophistication than an African shaman (I’m thinking of Joel Osteen).

Long ago I grew weary of the moral sleight of hand some of these pastors introduced in their sermons. It went like this: “Yes, bad things happen to good people . . . But God allows them to happen for a reason. And that reason actually makes the bad thing a good thing.” Really? Like Dave’s tumor? I don’t think so.

No, I think people would do well to cease their practice of religious co-dependence and stop acting as if they can control God. Who or whatever God is cannot be manipulated by the intentions of even well meaning people.

The medieval thinkers may have gotten it right after all: life is a veil of tears and what our religious or spiritual practice offers us is comfort. Not magic. Not manipulation of the divine. And definitely not sunshine blown up up our collective ass.