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This message arrived from Facebook a few days ago, "____ invited you to like God."
I receive Facebook notifications every day, but that one caught my eye. While it is not uncommon to get recommendations for things to try, I rarely get theological advice from Facebook. Giving God a "thumbs up" seems a bit simple.
While it's possible to "like God" on the computer with just a click, it's not always so easy to "like God" in real life.
It's easy to "like God" when all's well. When the weather's beautiful (no matter the season) we're big God fans. When there's a new life to celebrate, a joyous time to recognize, or good news even the most hardened say "thank God" and would likely click "like God."
Though virtual life might be that easy, real life is not. When we hear bad news, learn of the death of a friend, see the destruction of fires and mudslides or video of an airplane crash which took entire families, no one is eager to click "like God."
Further down the notification said, "God, Comedian." That was even more striking. On one hand it gave a bit more information about what I was asked to like. But it also echoed the Yiddish saying,
"
Der mentsh trakht un Got lakht.
Man plans
and
God laughs." God as comedian.
But liking God in real life in real time is no laughing matter. It requires a long-view, which is not an easy view. To like God means accepting both the good and bad of life. To like God means understanding that there are potholes in the highway of life. Some we can just drive by with a gentle bump, others can cause a hubcap to come off or break an axle.
Life will present difficult times; everything will not be the way we'd like it to be. But we should not let having what we want determine if we like God. Negotiating the tough times and yet keeping faith is the real measure of liking God in the long run. Facebook notwithstanding.
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