The day of small things

There is a rally happening right now on the capitol campus of my state. It is a gathering of charismatic Christians praying for economic recovery. I am glad that they are free to gather, that we are still free to state our minds in the public arena. They are blasting the neighborhood with loudspeakers.

Here is a sample of the prayers being offered: “God, we pray that consumers would not be afraid to spend their money…” “God we know that you can reverse this trend with the simple breath of your mouth”.

Not heard: “God, if you are disciplining us for our misbehavior, our ill-spending, our greed, our unrighteous expectations, please forgive us and give is the grace to walk through the trouble. You alone are righteous and know what is best for us. Amen”. Or, “God, grant us the will and the desire to aid the helpless and support our needy neighbor. Amen”.

Escaping suffering seems an odd request.