The Divine Genie

A while back I visited my "psycho-village," as my friend, Ed, calls it. There are several ways I might interpret the word "psycho," but I'm way past quibbling over degrees of insanity.

Anyway, while I was visiting this cranial community, I overheard Three-Fingers McCoy (maybe someday I'll tell you how he got that name) singing the following words:

You got your Almighty God in a aerosol can;
Said you got your Almighty God, now, baby - in a aerosol can;
Spread Him 'round the room,
Spray Him on the band,
Ever'body stomp your feet and clap your hands
For the Almighty God, yeah-na-na-now, in a aerosol can.

Sounds like he's been spending too much time with the Wild God guy. I heard him ranting about magic spells and incantations (sometimes called prayers, worship songs, sermons and Bible verses) intended to conjure up the Divine Genie. I suggested there might be nothing wrong with prayers and songs and sermons and especially Bible verses.

Wild God Guy glared at me and advised, "You're missing the point."

"Part your hair differently and maybe I'll see it," I replied. I never was very good at keeping opinions to myself.

Luckily Wild God Guy chose to let my volley pass, and he responded, "It's the idea that if we say 'these' words, or sing 'those' songs, then God will somehow be required to perform in a certain way." He was warming up as he continued, "Like we can call Him up at will and give Him our list of wishes. And then we expect Him to say, 'Your wish is My command'."

"But what about His promises?" I reminded him.

"Living in the expectant hope of fulfilled promise is one thing. Treating God like a trained doG is just bass-ackward. Anytime we say, think, or even think about thinking that God has to do this, that or the other thing, we're jumping really hard on really thin ice over really deep water. Filled with really hungry fish. Especially when we think He has to do something in response to what we've done."

As I turned to leave, he left me with his usual parting shot, "The God of Creation is a wild God - don't you doubt it for a minute!"