Sunday, October 21, 2007
Help from God
It seems to me that people only turn towards God in times of trouble and despair. We call on him for help when we a scared of what is to come. The prayers we make are for him to guide us or give us good fortune. I know that when we hear speeches made for winning awards the people do thank the lord and give him credit. Yet I don't think that during the moment of success we take a minute away from the cheers and glory to pray and give forgiveness. People acknowledge the situation and the glory is their reward which they are not to keen to give up so easily. Instead they take their time to enjoy the moment, the party, the congratulations; then later they reflect and pay their respects. I can't say personally that I've ever blamed God for my good or bad times but I know others constantly do. I think usually it happens when their prayers have been answered, such as in the case of a miracle. Mostly I'm referring to sports since this is what I have the most experience with. Although in sports most of your success is due to your own training and effort, which may be why people only thank themselves at these times. I have heard people say thanks to God for making them stronger but not much more then this. I came from a somewhat religious community where devotion came in times of need instead of glory. I think that it should not be a one way street and I hope to see people give prayer for both situations instead of just asking more and more for themselves.
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There are prayers for giving thanks, For example, at dinner and so on; People also do pray for forgiveness - I think especially Catholics, but don't quote me on this regarding the 'especially' part. When I watch UFC or any other sport, I sometimes see athletes pray at their corner or do the sign of the cross, or some such thing. In Muy Tai, for example, just before a fight, there is, a majority of the time, a short ritual dance performed which is meant to exhort the god(s) to bless the fighter before the fight.
One thing that is difficult to find is someone thanking God for whatever suffering s/he has gone through, although I've personally been witness to such occasions. In her writings, Simone Weil said that every time she thinks of Christ dying on the cross she commits the sin of envy. This leads her to pray that she suffers as Jesus suffered. One Christian caregiver who ministered to lepers thought that he could not be with the lepers in any kind of meaningful way unless he too experienced leprousy. What he did then is pray to become a leper; his prayers, needless to say, were answered.
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