"God... Oh God... Make my paper go well..." This would usually be my last statement before I began my exams, and as far as I know the last statement of many of my fellow theists. But this statement of mine would also accompanied by a feeling of guilt... A feeling of being a really selfish person pleading God for something which should actually be determined by my own endeavors and efforts... nothing more, nothing less… then I thought about what God had become to me.. Something that I entrusted all my testing situations and wanted them to go through well… What had God got to do with it?? What troubles me more is the fact that we hardly remember him in good times and just blame him and “luck” for our bad happenings. I don’t deny that there may indeed be something called “luck” but we can’t let it decide our life!. We squander our time on countless diversions and expect “GOD” to make everything right. WHY the heck should he? Just because you believe in him? If that’s the case, why do anything at all?? The very thought of people just sitting around chanting his name doing nothing is quite amusing. But don’t get me wrong here... I am a devout worshipper of God and I do believe in miracles. But I despise the notion of expecting him to set up your life. You are the one that ought to be responsible for your life. What then, you may ask, is God for?
Well, to this I reply with belief gained from the past few years that he silently observes you, your actions, decisions and thoughts and when even after your best efforts things don’t go your way he “MAY” set them right. This “MAY” is highly provocative. People as always have many ways to explain it: “luck” for instance; more widespread is the notion of “karma”. I won’t delve into those issues now... Each is sufficiently complex and people do have their own experiences and beliefs to accept any of them. Coming to the point, if this is the case with God, how then do we treat his existence? I for instance, chose thus to treat him as a friend, a really good one before whom I can proudly say “There, I have done my part. You just keep an eye over me” and smile away. No expectations. No chants or offerings. Just the confidence in yourself and the warm feeling of being watched over by a trustworthy and reliable friend.
Well, to this I reply with belief gained from the past few years that he silently observes you, your actions, decisions and thoughts and when even after your best efforts things don’t go your way he “MAY” set them right. This “MAY” is highly provocative. People as always have many ways to explain it: “luck” for instance; more widespread is the notion of “karma”. I won’t delve into those issues now... Each is sufficiently complex and people do have their own experiences and beliefs to accept any of them. Coming to the point, if this is the case with God, how then do we treat his existence? I for instance, chose thus to treat him as a friend, a really good one before whom I can proudly say “There, I have done my part. You just keep an eye over me” and smile away. No expectations. No chants or offerings. Just the confidence in yourself and the warm feeling of being watched over by a trustworthy and reliable friend.
