Praying for my… COW?
No, this is not a Wisconsin Dairyland post or The Hindu Daily; you have opened yet another ‘insightful’ Back Pew post.
Let me start by stating that conflicts and misunderstandings are as old as time.
You don't need to be an Atheist, Muslim, Jihadist, or New Ager to pick a fight with a Christian. It's as easy as creating your pronouns or becoming an activist on most college campuses. All you have to do is disagree with true Biblical Christianity.
Banter with the Bretheren
Even under the Christian Umbrella, you can find many, many conflicts amongst the ‘brethren.’ We reserve harsh words, indignant anger, and pious pouting, perhaps sincere, while at other times, we intentionally misunderstand or ignore contrary views. In the end, someone is deemed a HERETIC.
So, let’s agree to disagree, maybe?
Well, the history of the Christian Church (the good, the bad, and the ugly) from Constantine to the birth of Catholicism, that little reformation issue raised by Martin Luther in 1517, Calvinism was predestined to show up in the 16th Century.
Everyone was 'up in arms' literally, over the Charismatic movement in the 1960s. Topics like indulgences, the prosperity gospel, get-rich-quick pyramid scheme faith healers, women preachers, and, of course, the constant divide between many Catholics and Protestants. The differences are fundamental and often necessary, but then, how fast we move to declaring someone a heretic is faster than it takes to order Monster Energy Drinks from Amazon Prime.
Sadly, the TRUE MESSAGE of the Gospel gets lost when we elevate our secondary issues over God’s Two Greatest Commandments to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and then to love others as ourselves.
THIS is my long lead into a NEAR SCANDAL at my church, when a woman from our congregation asked for PRAYER for her… COW?
This occurred during a designated time in the service, when people are invited to share praise or prayer requests. A woman sitting with her family stood up and asked the congregation to pray for her… COW.
Okay, understandably, I was unsure I was hearing her right, so I continued to listen, and learned that she has asked for prayer before, as her COW has an infection that is not easily treated. It may take even years of specialized antibiotics to get this infection under control.
So, I'm thinking, okay, she must live on a small farm, and the well-being of her cow has some significance that I don't understand, since I only own a small dog.
Meanwhile, my wife Mary, sitting three chairs away, had the same understanding (PRAY FOR MY COW). I learned this after the service.
Well, I figured out as she touched her son, and people gathered, that they would pray for her son... CAL?
Around the same time, my wife Mary whispers to her friend, sitting beside her, "Are we praying for her COW? Her friend told her no, her son CAL.
Well, there you go; I felt so much better praying for Cal than a cow, though I hold no ill will to any cow folk. In fact, some of my best ‘meals’ were cows.
My prayer today is that we are tolerant of those with whom we disagree while never compromising our obedience to God's Loving Truths in His Word.
May we all find humor in our days and be blessed with the ability to laugh at ourselves, our sincere differences, and be patient in our misunderstandings.
And if you have a COW that needs prayer. That’s cool too.
Jeff (hearing aid batteries loaded) Larson
