God, Show me the money!
An adaptation of an old story I picked up along the way... and an encouragement to show up to life.
This is a story about a guy named Tom - an all around good, faithful guy. He loved the Lord and was always the first one to volunteer at his local church.
One day, Tom got lost in a wonderful daydream - in the fantasy of winning the lottery. Oh, the things he could do with a few million dollars! His mind was awhirl with dollar signs and ways to spend it.
“I could help the church build a new fellowship hall! I could support a lot of missionaries and the local food bank and shelter!”
So compelled by this day dream, Tom began to earnestly pray with all the faith he could muster. Morning, noon and night he made his petition to win the lottery. Reminding God that he could do a lot of good with the winnings!
Months turned to years, and nary a prayer time passed without Tom making his faith-filled petition for lottery riches. But still no reply from Heaven.
One day Tom was in a state, distraught with life. In a fit of rage, he tore into God:
“See here God, I’ve been a faithful servant to you. I’ve helped the poor, gone to church every Sunday and sat up front in the 3rd pew, and read my bible everyday. Led mens bible study, tithed 10% on the gross, never criticized Pastor (okay, I criticized the youth pastor but you know…). I’ve been the first to volunteer, supported short-term missions, and have been an all around super guy. Still, you have seen fit to ignore the one thing I have asked you for many years now! Lord! I want to win the lottery!
With the last syllable barely out of his mouth, the air turned cold and dark clouds began to billow. Out of the clouds God replied:
“You gotta meet me half way. At least buy a ticket!”
Teilhard de Chardin, Jesuit and scientist would express his frustration that many Christians were more like sheep, and he wished that more were like lions. For the sheep, God was omnipotent, had all the power and controlled all things, so they reasoned that whatever happened or didn’t happen, for good or for ill, it’s God’s deal. After all, who were they to think they could do anything. God’s in control (insert soft sounds of bleating sheep)
For Teilhard this passivity was a kind of spiritual entropy. A black hole for the zest for life. Teilhard was not championing a violent faith, rather an active faith. One where we partner with God in our day to day life towards more over-all well-being.
Promoting over-all well-being might include being active in your community working for safe and inclusive schools, volunteering at a local shelter or food bank, or showing up to non-violently protest hateful policies of local school boards and government. It could include advocating for responsible environmental policy and supporting conservation and reclamation initiatives.
This can also include being an amazing neighbour, getting to know others and looking out for each other. It could include leveraging your skills, talents and connections to start new and innovative groups to address any number of social issues. The opportunities are endless and can be as unique as you are. What matters is you show up. This might mean leaving the relative sterility of the keyboard and wade into the mess that real life sometimes be.
It has been said God has no hands or feet but ours, and we are continually invited to partner with God to co-create the kind of lives and world we’d like to see. Inspired by and partnering with the God-who-is-love to live lives of self-giving, active love that inspires beauty, novelty and wholeness in the world in such a way that it quite naturally displace inequity, injustice, fear and hopelessness.
So by all means pray! but for Gods sake, buy a ticket!
Of Interest:
ORTline - February 22-24. Online event.
I’m excited to share a few thoughts in response to Brian Macallan's new book "Forgiving God: Embracing a Risky Adventure with God" at the International Open and Relational Theology Conference.
A Love Story. Reimagining Good News stories for a Post-Christian quantum world. - 7pm March 5, 12 & 19, 2024.
Launching from the big ideas of Teilhard de Chardin and Open and Relational Theologian Thomas Jay Oord, we re-imagine an expansive love-centered story exhumed from the graffiti of empire, domination, scapegoating othering, and the myth of sacred violence. Hosted by Michael Rose and McKillop United Church, Lethbridge, Alberta.
Neat Stuff from my friends:
Love Resists: Nonviolence & Sacred Activism Online Event
April 4, 11, 18 & 25 - 6-7:30 MST
This 4 week virtual series welcomes those who desire to take action in ways that are loving, thoughtful and non-violent. Co-facilitated by renowned activists and trainers Rev. Dr. Jerry Maynard and Rivera Sun, this course will offer tools, ideas, and practices to help you as you publicly work for affirming healthy equitable community.
Sessions and Dates
APRIL 4 - Session 1: Living Resistance - History to Present
APRIL 11 - Session 2: Spirit in Action
APRIL 18 - Session 3: Person Power + Protest
APRIL 25 - Session 4: Change Of Heart
.
This series is sponsored by Affirming Connections and McKillop United.
Use code EARLYBIRD for 30% off until February 29 or the first 30 tickets sold. Go to http://tinyurl.com/loveresists for more information and to register!!
like it.
"show up."