The Heretic Sessions, Part I

I heard something recently that set my teeth on edge and I had to bite my tongue because I was in the role of deacon. A woman who lost her spouse a year ago was feeling anguish and sadness because the anniversary of the woman's death was approaching. She kept asking, "How could God take her from me?" I was sympathetic; I'm not a complete cold-hearted bastard and yet I couldn't help realize that this is probably the mainstream thinking. God kills people; God makes people sick; God does this to me. I don't believe it, not for a second. I believe in God and think God is there as more of a spiritual advisor; someone who will never judge, never turn away from us, never use anger to get back at us. I certainly don't think of God as someone picking and choosing what to do and whom to do it to. We are only human, we're going to get sick. We can be as healthy in every part of our living as possible and still have the genetic makeup that will cause us to get a disease or a sickness. We're human; our bodies can only withstand so much before they give out. Look at our athletes, look at what they do to their bodies every year. Why do you think that athletes don't play their sport forever? As for evil and corruption, free will is to blame for that. Every day we have the choice to do what is right and virtuous or to steal, cheat, lie and even murder. That is the choice each person has every single day; simple as that.

This woman was also upset because she has been unable to find another lover. I just wanted to tell her that she'd never find someone while she's in the place of comparing everyone new to her former spouse, while she's still grieving her spouse, and while she is still a mess inside. We must be ready to receive gifts before we can receive them. That's really not difficult to understand.
Maybe one day we'll all just get it.

peace,

paul