September 8, 2021
Does Apple Have Something Against You, Lord? A Prayer
O Lord, I am beginning to think that Apple
(you know, the phone people)
has something against you,
because when I text
(Yes, you heard me right: I now text.
Well, only now and then. If I have to.
Reluctantly. Still prefer to
hear a voice),
anyway,
when I text,
your name
no longer
automatically
pops up
like it once did;
popping up
when I concluded a text with
“God be with you”,
for a while
just typed “G” and
“God” popped up
the second I hit the “G” key,
but no more;
now I have to spell it out,
“G … o” popping up
“going” or “gone” but
not God;
“Pastor” popping up
when signing off,
no letter even needed,
so too “Jeff”, even
“Dopey”,
if I text the one who
christened me
“Dopey”,
but not
“God”,
God
going
going,
gone.
So I wonder, Lord: Does Apple have something against you?
Or is Apple afraid that people will be
offended
if you
pop up without permission,
pop up without an invitation,
pop up without their approval,
because
for more and more people
you are gone,
not welcome,
no longer approved of,
because you
disturb them,
disrupt them,
discomfit them,
insisting on doing things your way; actually
demanding obedience
(close your ears, children,
to this now obscene word);
challenging their cherished
political opinions and prejudices;
having the audacity to suggest that they really do
have time
to go to church,
come and worship,
because
they always manage to find
the time
to do what they want
(like spending 3 hours online complaining about
having no time);
and to top it off, there’s your bad taste,
always bringing up things like
values and virtues.
Maybe that’s it: too many people
having something against you,
Apple afraid of being bitten.
O Lord, for the sake of our world, our nation, our lives
keep popping up;
or better,
just come barging in,
barging into
our thoughts,
our opinions,
our politics,
disturbing, disrupting, discomfiting all that needs to be
disturbed,
disrupted,
discomfited,
if ever there is to be
hope;
and if need be,
offend people,
offend us all who are your people,
offend us all
with your judgement
that politics is
going,
going, pretty much
gone
to the dogs,
taking our nation with it;
offend us
with words that are
going,
going, almost
gone,
words like truth, righteousness, honor, kindness, justice;
offend us
with your command that is
going,
going, nearly
gone,
your command to
love;
offend us
with your refusal to be
going,
going,
gone;
offend us
with the forgiveness that so many believe they don’t require,
with the grace and mercy so many think they
can do without,
with the salvation so many are convinced they
do not need;
so that
they, we, our nation, this world
will finally get
going
going in the way you would have us go
and no longer be
going,
going,
goners.
And we pray, Lord, for those for whom much has gone wrong:
those devastated by Hurricane Ida in the South, the fires in the West,
the flooding in the Northeast,
those devastated by the coronavirus or other illnesses;
those devastated by the death of those they loved;
those who are just plain fed up with it all,
especially the health-care workers;
those who are anxious or afraid;
and for the Afghan refugees, all who are homeless, all who hunger.
Be there for them,
healing and consoling and comforting and
refreshing and strengthening them.
And move us
to be there for them
as best we can.
O Lord, maybe Apple doesn’t have anything against you,
just caving in
to those who do
(Gotta watch the bottom line).
Well, ok, fine.
Just keep giving us
the courage
to spell out your name
day after day
in all we do and say,
so that
others will know that
you are here
to stay.
Amen