What is the purpose of prayer?
Submitted by Rue de la Levee on September 11 1999 at 12:16:42
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I have this vague memory of myself at the age of...seven or so, yelling at my little sister primarily so that she would start crying...so that I could then "comfort" her. That this is behavior one could label "sick" is obvious. Munchausen-by-proxy in a seven year old? Maybe. When one is that young, thinking about the "why" of doing something isn't a major pastime. Now that I'm old enough (way old enough, ;)) to reason, hurting someone just so that I could then "help" them is a repellent idea. However, in a post somewhere below, that's exactly what "Chris" is accusing God of doing. There is an obvious answer to his post that goes a bit like this: If God really cared about the boy in question, would he have not kept him from falling off the rock in the first place? Am I supposed to believe that God can heal an injury--although, it seems, not all the way--but is unable to prevent that injury in the first place? Are we going to accuse God of being psychologically disordered? And "d"'s accusation is a valid one as well. What are we to say about a God who heaps calamity upon calamity on a faithful, God-loving, person to the point that person loses faith? To test his faith ala Job? Is this the behavior of someone who loves? A parent who beats his children viciously and then expects love in return is rightly labeled deluded, immature, and criminal. Is God those things? We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end war; For we know that You have made the world in a way That man must find his own path to peace Within himself and with his neighbor. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end starvation; For you have already given us the resources With which to feed the entire world If we would only use them wisely. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, To root out prejudice, For you have already given us eyes With which to see the good in all men If we would only use them rightly. We cannot merely pray to You, O God, to end disease, For you have already given us great minds with which To search out cures and healing, If we would only use them constructively. Therefore we pray to You instead, O God, For strength, determination, and willpower, To do instead of just to pray, To become instead of merely to wish. -----Jack Riemer, Likrat Shabbat Rue. |