Practical Atheism

O Lord

I feel almost foolish

offering you this prayer

I realized

this morning

as I thought about this day

this week

this life

 

that I live most of my life

as a "behavioral atheist"*

 

I live most 

of most

days

as if

you are really not a part of them

 

Oh I think of you

I might throw you a prayer

but for the most part

 

as I go through my hours

my days

my weeks

my years

I live as if you are nothing more

than a character in a rather long and sometimes

boring

book

 

I do not think about you

as present

active

having a true part in my life

 

I do not live as if you are in charge

 

my faith is like fast food

it is there

but not nourishing

it doesn't go deep

 

I have junk faith*

 

and so I live in fear

and angst

because frankly Lord

if you are not present and active

I am in deep trouble

 

Lord

this day

help me go deep

help me get in touch with your presence with You

be real

be active

calm, encourage, guide

 

because frankly, Practical Atheism

really

really

sucks

 

__________________________________________

 

*  terms taken from Richard Rohr

 

Junk religion is usually characterized by fear of the present and fear of the future.  What you hear when people have really met God is that three is not fear of the present because it is always full, there's no fear of the future because God's in charge, there is not fear of the past because it has been healed and forgiven.   Richard Rohr