I think one of the most perplexing things for us to try and figure out is prayer. What really makes a difference? Does our praying change things?
Often I find myself praying for superficial things. Our evening prayer before meals is routine, not because we pray the Lord’s prayer, but because our requests seem to remain constant. Thankfulness, Roy’s health, our health, our family’s health, our friends. Requests, Sam Evans, the two kids from Lindsay’s school. Gratefulness, my dad is cancer free.
Here is my ridiculousness. Since Tom’s bachelor party last Thursday I’ve been informed of a thing on mlb.com called beat the streak. Joe DiMaggio consecutively got a hit in 56 games back in some year that I don’t know off hand. If I, as a participant can correctly select one player from MLB to get a hit for 57 nights in a row, I will have beat the streak and will be awarded $100,000 by mlb.com.
Every night I open the gameday window of the team for whom my player plays for and watch. During the day I tell my wife whom I’ve picked and half jokingly/half seriously tell her who we are praying for to get a hit.
I’m tempted to think prayer works. Especially the prayer that goes something like “God please provide for all of our needs.” And if I’m honest, all the wants that American advertising has convinced me that are needs.
I think it is really noble and theologically right to thank God for all I have, but here is my predicament. I know plenty of Christians in Africa who don’t seem to get all of their needs provided for. Does God forget about them? Did God forget about Dietrich Bonhoeffer while remembering sparrows elsewhere, or did Bonhoeffer’s prayer get answered?
Grace for now
2 comments:
Wow, Carney... Looks like folks are as stumped as you are on this one. Yes, I think that Bonhoeffer did get what he prayed for... He was big on the Lord's Prayer and his book "Ethics" was truly finished in the example of his life and death. At last check we still all die; I don't think he wanted to die in the way or fashion he did. However, several of the people interviewed who spent time with him in those last days and hours said they never saw a man so at peace who knew he was going to die. I am not saying that Bonhoeffer would say it was God's will that he would die in the way he did. Rather I am saying that it was God's will that he would live in the way he did even if that meant death. He saw himself as having a duty both as a follower of Christ and a minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He prayed to fulfill that duty and for him the path that led to life also led to death.
With that said I don’t think a lot of his “simple” prayers were answered. I think he wanted to be married and I don’t think he wanted that war that was an abomination to humanity to happen and I’m sure he prayed for it and wondered why God didn’t intervene more directly. But I think His prayer to live a life that showed his love for God and his neighbor was answered. It is just that we are uncomfortable with the answer.
Hey, buddy - forgot to pass along that I looked up Joe D.'s mark after we talked about it - it was in 1941. Good luck in the mlb deal, but you're up against me and Matt Holliday who I've ridden to a 2-game streak thus far! :) -Blair
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