appropriate?

"Is it inappropriate to ask for prayers for my kitty?" the email read.

At one point in my ministerial life, I probably would have answered in the affirmative. After all (I thought back then), God has too many things to worry about - important things like human suffering, like wars, like poverty, like hunger. All those abstract sorts of things that we convince ourselves are the sole focus God and God's interests.

But I've traveled too many miles down that road called discipleship, I've spent too many hours reading that strange book called the Bible, I've had Jesus by my side too long with all his stories, his comments, his whispers in my ears to think that way any more.

Because I've learned that the Bible is not interested in abstract thoughts and concepts. It's interested in God's dreams, hopes, purposes for us, and how we will respond, how we will remain faithful, our struggles to be obedient.

God doesn't talk about suffering in general terms, God sees the suffering of specific people in places like Egypt and Babylon. God doesn't look at the poor as some 'class' of people for politicians to use as fodder for political salvos, God sees the poor as individuals we harm by our greed, by our unethical practices, by our inability to see them in our neighborhoods. God doesn't see the hungry and hope that some government agency steps forward to create a program to assist them. God tells them to sit down and turns to us, saying, "You give them something to eat."

God is involved - passionately, hopefully, persistently, patiently - in our lives. In every moment, in every situation, in every thing we face and deal with.

So, I've got a feeling that the One whose eye is on the sparrow also is watching the cat that 'stalks' it from inside a house, a cat named Sam, who has brought so much comfort, so much joy, so much grace to the young woman who has been his companion for 17 years.

(c) 2008 Thom M. Shuman