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My dear,
Bad things happen to us randomly and senselessly. I don't feel for one moment that God "wills" this or desires
it in order that we learn something. Even Jesus prayed that "this cup pass from me."
(At the same time, I'm very sorry about your experience with your client, the bank and the courts. Injustice is a
bitter pill to swallow and I didn't mean to discount your dismay over this.)
It can seem insufficient to hear God is with us, in us, loving us. Why, we wonder, can't the "Lord of the Universe" make
it all go away? I don't think love works that way. When I was struggling with the question of depression I happened to
say to my director: "I feel as though I'm tied to a tree, beset by wolves." (Clinical
depression is beyond horrible.) And my director asked something like: "Would it help if Bob were near? Even though he,
too, is tied to a tree?" And I responded: "Oh, yes! Just having him nearby would help! And my priest-director said,
simply: "Liz, what if God is nearby, but tied to a tree?"
That may mean nothing to you but it was a blaze of light for me, a moment when my entire relationship with God was changed. I
realized that God - even more intimately than Bob - is always there, always nearby, always loving, that, in fact,
I exist in Love; however, God doesn't change the laws of
chance, of existence, or genetic makeup just for me. It's what I do with reality that determines my life. That sense
of responsibility for my response to existence has simplified life immensely. I simply never think in terms of, "It's
not fair," any longer. After all, it's also not "fair" when things go well for me and not for others.
About prayer requests: Honestly, internally I simply say the word, "Courage," on their behalf. Whatever life will bring them, I deeply, strongly hope for their courage to accept and endure if a bad outcome occurs. It's what I ask for myself, always and only.
Finally, my best friend died of cancer almost 25 years ago after being diagnosed only 5 months previously. People at St. Tom's prayed for her earnestly and constantly and one profoundly Catholic prof at Purdue was astounded when she died. ("I prayed all the time for her," he said. "I never thought she'd die!) I was always puzzled by that. Tragedy happens, people die, we grieve. And still, we also experience the most awesome moments of love and beauty and truth
and compassion and mercy and forgiveness and courage from those around us, more than we can ever say we've earned. We're vulnerable to all the vagaries of this world and we also exist in Love. It's just the way it is, Mike.
Liz
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