By BB7W Crew Member, “ASwirlGirl”

Poor God!

“God was my co-pilot but we crashed in the mountains and I had to eat him.”

~Sticker on a Starbucks guest’s laptop

Alas, poor God! He has to deal with so much irreverence and foolishness on a daily basis. His authority – even His existence – is questioned, and in many instances He’s viewed as outdated and irrelevant: A washed-up has been once revered by parents and grandparents, but oh, so played out with younger generations.

He’s endured man-made wars fought in “His name,” and His Word being used to legitimize slavery and subjugation of women. Innocent lives are taken, cults created and incorporated into multi-million dollar industries, and branches established so that deluded people can commit suicide in relative comfort – and all in “His name.” Men claim to be incarnate versions of Him, and in so doing convince women to willing yield the bodies of their young, underage daughters so that these “God-men” can satisfy their perverse sexual fantasies. Still others hide behind pulpits, adroitly and cleverly using the power and authority attributed them by their “man of the cloth” status to rake in large offerings, live opulent, lavish lifestyles, and enjoy virtually unlimited access to gullible, power-hungry, sex-starved women. Oh, that’s right! Many of these priests and pastors have no use or desire for women – no, fresh young altar boys and hardy teenaged boys are their sexual prey of choice. Why, some men are even using the pulpit as a place to be crowned a King!

Sigh. Poor God. He also has to endure some churches that seem to specialize in displays of coonery and buffoonery, not genuine displays of the power and presence of the Holy Spirit but instead, floor shows and stylized displays designed to either catch someone’s eye or display pseudo-spirituality. Other churches are segregated country clubs in disguise, with members cloaked in prejudice, oozing a spirit of privilege and elitism that allows no room for the Holy Spirit because, well darn, they just don’t need Him.

Poor God, indeed. Fortunately for Him, despite millions who blaspheme and malign His name, decry His existence, use His church as a business, pimp the flock to feed their sexual proclivities, and in hundreds of ways just make plain fools of themselves, despite these people, there are those who enjoy a genuine relationship with Him. Really, you ask??? Why, yes. There are those who have experienced grace and found faith. There are those who enjoy a profound peace regardless of life’s turbulent circumstances, who acknowledge and bow to His sovereignty even when bad things, inexplicable things, occur in their lives. There are those who find that reading holy writings, praying, meditating, and cultivating a spirit of gratitude enables them to purposefully and successfully navigate through life.

Yes, many of His followers mourn the bad name God is given by those who profess to serve Him, yet they know and believe that a relationship with Him is a personal, individual experience. They respect His deity and believe in His power, and they refuse to allow others’ shameful and despicable actions to cause their belief and trust in Him to falter or fall. They endure it because they know that anyone who earnestly seeks for truth will find it, and will forever be changed by it. They know and understand that the actions of man can never diminish or alter who He is.

Poor God, you say? Nah. At the end of the day, God can handle it.