In my earlier post about us being not a Christian nation, I thought I made it clear that I was indeed personally a Christian. I guess that’s not good enough for some people because one of the commentors left a comment? a threat? a threatment?
I’M PRAYING FOR YOU
Now, I’ve had a lot of people praying for me all my life. The fact that I’m here is testament to the fact that prayer works. As an infant I was gravely ill and (i’m told) teams of church people prayed for me ’round the clock. Even now that I’m all cripply and whiney people are praying for me–to either get better or shut up about it.
But I don’t think this dude meant it that way.
Seriously, when did “praying for you” become the equivalent of casting the evil eye on someone? Because the way that dude said it in the comments it came off like he was saying “I’m going to get in touch with my buddy God and send him over to your house to beat the everlovin’ snot outta you!” It was creepy. And, I might add, not at all in line with my understanding of how our God works. I know that some gods enjoy doing your bidding when you cast spells or summon them. This God, the one we believe in, is all about Grace and Love. Sure he’s got some judgment in there–but it’s HIS judgment in HIS time. I don’t think that whatever-that-guys-name-is is really in the place to decide my eternal fate.
I wonder about people who believe in our God not because he’s the God of their choice but just because they’ve grown up hearing that He is the biggest and baddest God so they hide behind his coattails. To them “King of Kings, Lord of Lords” means no more than Biggest Bully in the Playground. That is, by the way, what scares me about people declaring this is a Christian Nation. They so often seem to do so from that same place. That if the Christian God is the biggest, baddest God then dedicating our country to him makes us, by default, the biggest and baddest country. Then they start dragging God into our dirty work.
That bugs me. So anyway, pray away guy. I need all the help I can get, and I know this God means me no harm.
Speaking as a gay man, I can most certainly confirm that all too often “I’m praying for you” (usually intentionally) comes off as open judging under the thin guise of compassion. It can be a shining example of what it is to be passive-aggressive (and I should know as I have a tendency to be the king of passive-aggressiveness).
Katherine and Dolphin,
The proper response at such time is, “Well, bless your heart.”
I’m not praying for you.