July 14, 2021
It’s About Our Washing Machine: A Prayer
O Lord, it’s about our washing machine, our
Mao Maytag
with its
malevolent,
maleficent,
motherboard, a
machine
machinating
machinations,
sensors sensing,
sensors selecting,
sensors setting
water level,
dictator
dictating
decisions;
a menacing machine
with its
Putin panel,
preventing preferred preferences,
prohibiting proffered proposals,
poisoning possibilities
for anything other than
pre-set programs;
a minacious machine
with its
Fidel features
fending off
forays by
freedom fighters
fighting for independence
from a
Mao Maytag;
would take back
our old two-dial
Kenmore, except probably now a
Kim Jung Un
Kenmore; even accept an
Amana, but now an
Amin Amana, no doubt, (remember Idi?); and
forget the rest, the
Hitler Hotpoint and the
Samsung Stalin, all
tyrants,
despots,
oppressors.
But
it’s not just
washing machines; it’s
smart phones,
smart TVs,
smart watches;
phones updating updates before I’m
up-to-date on the last update;
TVs I can turn on, but that’s
about it;
watches telling time, all right,
telling me it’s time
to stand up, sit down, walk, rest, breathe (give me a break);
algorithms anticipating,
wants waiting for me,
searches typed out before fully typed in,
smart devices outsmarting me,
frustrating me,
devising my demise
all because I just want to
think
for myself.
O Lord, that’s what concerns me, worries me, scares me
about our culture;
what scares me
is that it seems that
a lot of people
don’t want to
think for themselves,
think at all,
so afraid they are they’ll
think the wrong thing,
say the wrong thing,
post the wrong thing,
and will be
called out,
censured,
cancelled,
by the very ones they consider to be
right, and in whose eyes they want to be considered
right, but will be considered to be
right only if they
parrot party prejudices,
opine others’ opinions,
regurgitate regurgitated regurgitations,
and never, ever, try to
get around
pre-set water levels.
Or is it
just easier
for people
not to think
for themselves,
pre-set, pre-programmed, pre-selected so convenient?
And Christians
there as well,
thinking that thinking
a threat to
pre-set political beliefs,
pre-programmed social beliefs,
pre-selected religious beliefs,
and so might have to
change
their beliefs,
their behavior,
their bearings
(and why would anyone want to change, when they are
so comfy as they are?).
And it concerns me, worries me,
really scares me,
because it’s a big reason why we’re
in the mess we’re in:
reacting the new reasoning,
opinions the new facts,
lies the new truth;
believing without thinking,
speaking without thinking,
acting without thinking.
O Lord, you gave us minds for a reason,
to be used,
used for more that just
filler between our ears;
to be used
to think,
think as you would have us think
and find ways to bring people together;
to seek solutions to the problems that are tearing us apart;
to think through
the difficult and complex issues that divide us;
not accept simplistic answers that are no answers;
find common ground that will bring real answers;
to think
thoughts
that lead to
better belief,
stronger hope,
greater love for you
and others.
And speaking of thinking, Lord, help us to keep on our minds
those devastated by the horrific condo collapse in Florida;
those battling illness and disease;
those still struggling to find their way after this past year;
those going through tough treatments and scary times;
those who are grieving.
And to
be there for them and
to pray for them,
pray that you would heal,
strengthen,
sustain,
support, and
comfort them.
O Lord, it’s not just about washing machines;
it’s about us daring
to think and be right in your eyes,
even if that means
being wrong in the eyes of others;
and yes, even
finding a way
to select
the water level
we want.
Amen.