PeaceBang
The manic mind of the minister -- Auntie Mame Meets Cotton Mather. Blogging about Unitarian Universalism, UU Christian spiritual practice, occasional cultural and political ravings, and the inner life of ministry. PeaceBang is the alter ego of a small town pastor serving an historic New England Unitarian Universalist congregation.
“God Really Took Care Of Me”
February 18, 2008 on 10:46 pm | In Theological Reflection |I saw a television interview with Charity Gibson on February 13 or so, a few days after she managed to escape from a carjacker in Daytona Beach, Florida. A guy stuck a gun in her guts, ordered her into the trunk of her car, and while she was in there she managed to keep her cool and remember that her trunk had an interior emergency latch. She grabbed it when the car felt like it was slowing down, got out of the trunk, and ran like a bat out of hell to a friend’s house.
Me, I’m just guessing that would have hyperventilated and been dead by the end of the whole tawdry episode.
Here’s what Charity kept saying on “Good Morning, America,” where she was unfailingly polite to Diane Sawyer, “yes, ma’aming” her every possible chance: “I kept praying, and God really took care of me.”
Doubtless, many Unitarian Universalists and other folks skeptical of this kind of unabashed talk of reliance on a Supreme Being, heard this and thought, “Charity, girl, it was nothing but your own good problem-solving skills and courage that got you out of that trunk! Why give all the credit to some Deity that doesn’t exist, or if It does, certainly doesn’t go around reminding nice Florida girls that they’ve got inside emergency trunk latches?”
But Charity’s got both faith and common sense, and that combination seems to be serving her well. When she bought her car, she said, it seemed a good idea to get to know it “real well” and so that’s what she did: she studied the vehicle and all its features, and it was that bright instinct that eventually saved her life one February day in 2008. Was God in that decision to get to know her car inside and out? That’s not my theology, exactly, but if Charity wants to see the world as suffused by Divine Presence, who am I to shake my head at it? I don’t even know how to change a tire. Who’s the smarter girl here?
The only thing that worries me is what will happen when something doesn’t work out so well for Charity, and she suffers some other “outrageous sling or arrow of fortune,” as Mr. Shakespeare wrote. When that happens, as suffering inevitably comes to all of us, I do hope that Charity won’t feel that she’s been abandoned by God, that she did something to deserve the suffering, or that “it’s all in God’s plan.”
But then, who am I to worry about someone else’s practical theology? Maybe “it’s all in God’s plan” is just the traditional Theistic way of being Zen about stuff, like saying, “When you find the Buddha on the road, kill him.” Maybe it’s one of those great mystery phrases that just means, “It’s all happening as it’s happening, nothing much we can do about it,” and brainy existentialist types should just stop cringing when they hear it.
Anyway, I hope Charity Gibson recovers well and fully from her terrifying ordeal. May her God bless her and keep her through this time of learning to trust an ordinary day again.
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You’re a good woman, PB. I worry about this, too. You have a generous way of looking at it, and I appreciate the reminder.
Comment by Mrs. M — February 19, 2008 #
That’s about where humanisty me gets with all of this. I will note that I do have some relatives who view others’ misfortunes as punishment for bad acts, but they don’t seem to ever apply this logic to themselves, mostly because they know that they haven’t done anything all that bad. But with someone else, you never know what they’re up to that you don’t know about. Ask Ted Haggard’s flock.
My guess is that had something awful happened to her, it would be categorized under either part of God’s plan or “God testing my faith.”
Oh, and BTW, can’t hurt to review this
CC
somewhat disturbed that “Brainy” is a pejorative term these days. She blames the Smurf. [What’s the Smurf? And of course I hope you don’t think I meant “brainy” in a negative sense — why, I used it to describe myself just last night. - PB]
Comment by Chalicechick — February 19, 2008 #
Uggh. Count me in as a brainy existentialist type. It doesn’t make me angry or anything, because people do have the right to believe in whatever God they desire. However, it reminds me of those people who got out of the WTC towers during 9/11 and went on tv insisting that it was all due to Christ; Jesus wanted them to live. I’m not able to be as magnanimous as you, Peacebang. You know how some folks feel all angry about “The Secret?” That was how I felt! Times like, five hundred.
Just once, my shadow side would love to see someone on tv after a horrific ordeal who admits, “I think this happened because the One True God is the God of Irony - and He hates me!”
Comment by h sofia — February 19, 2008 #
I’m up for spontaneous expressions of gratitude.
But unpacking the theology behind such expressions takes one in some very unsavory directions, toward a god I would not want to meet in a dark alley.
Frankly the questions of theodicy are the classic stumbling block of any theist assertions. At least for me…
Comment by James — February 19, 2008 #
Brainy Smurf is
this guy
I would so be up for the God of Irony line, except I can’t imagine the mail I would get from well-meaning people trying to convince me how wrong I was.
Comment by Chalicechick — February 19, 2008 #
Hello Folks,
Has it ever occurred to anyone that perhaps the feeling of gratitude is healthy to express? While thanking God isn’t the most logical way to express that emotion, emotions aren’t exactly logical by their very nature. I find the whole think to be splitting hairs… She’s alive and thankful. Whether she thanks God or her mother for teaching her to have good sense, it doesn’t change the fact that she feels thankful. Just my observation.
Namaste.
Comment by John Pageless — February 20, 2008 #
Ok, true confession: when my fat is pulled out of the fire, I often thank God as well. yeah, it;s not logical, it may not be brainy, but there you go.
I certainly dont curse God if a lucky break doesnt come my way. Is there any real reason to think Ms. Gibson might? Or that she is someone who feels those who suffer deserves it?
Even theists know they will have suffering, pain and death - that it will strike all, including them.
Comment by StevenR — February 20, 2008 #
I think I say “Thank God” almost by reflex. Even the years I lived as a true-blue atheist, I still used the phrase. I think I once consciously tried to switch to “Thank Goodness!” but in a tight situation, “Thank God” just fell out of my lips. I was raised Catholic, though, so, I dont know, maybe the expression is just interwoven into my being now. Even though my vision of a god these days is more deist–it’s a power that creates life, but it’s not really paying much attention to the minute details of my life.
Comment by Mars Girl — February 20, 2008 #
It make me think of one of my favorite jokes:
In town near the water there was a warning of a flood. The meteorologist advised everyone to evacuate the area, but one man stayed behind saying God would save him. The police came door to door to evacuate, but he refused saying God would save him. Soon enough the water started flooding the area. A rescue team in a boat came by to save the man, but he stayed saying God would save him. The waters kept coming and soon the man was on his roof and a helicopter came to save him, but he stayed saying God would save him. The waters then swept him off his roof and he drown. When he got to heaven he asked God “why did you not save me?” God said, I gave you a warning, I sent the police, I sent a boat and a helicopter, but you refused them all.
I heard this joke as a kid ( way before Katerina, which now makes this joke tragic) and I remember thinking that God is in all of us. I also think it is a reminder that we need to look out for ourselves and use our God given abilities such as intuition to get ourselves out of situations. We were given a brain for a reason, why not use it!
Comment by Kim — February 20, 2008 #
Refreshingly diplomatic and tactful!
You have a knack for being able to bridge the gap and balance difficult issues without resorting to attacks and I have much to learn from you.
As for me, I do believe strongly in Providence and fate/destiny, but what serves as some comfort to me is that I always keep in mind that life will sometimes be good, but it will never be fair. Trusting in God and believing that I’m part of some greater plan does not make me feel as though I’m being betrayed if something bad happens to me despite my best intentions towards good.
Who among us really knows for sure? I have my theory and you yours, but I say, what is true for one is not always true for all.
Comment by Comrade Kevin — February 20, 2008 #
As an actual non-UU theist, I can attest that there are people who can see the tender hand of God protecting them without that leading to them sitting around passively waiting for rescue (as Ms. Gibson clearly did not!) or going into a tailspin when bad things happen (to them or someone else).
There certainly are people whose theology is unsophisticated enough that it can’t handle the evils of life — but in my experience surprisingly few. Maybe that’s not so surprising, since the more naive version of “God’s hand is protecting me, everything will always be just fine” doesn’t end up lasting long in the real world.
Comment by Kristen — February 20, 2008 #
I prefer the Hartshorne/process theology idea of God “nudging” (my term) us towards possibilities rather than 1. pulling the puppet strings or 2. having no presence in our lives at all.
So in that sense, I could give God co-credit (well I am a Unitarian, some hubris is necessary!).
Comment by NDM — February 21, 2008 #