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Meditation 1329
A One-Way Conversation

by: John Tyrrell

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I'm not sure that this message* is entirely consistent with the message about prayer posted by the same church back in May this year. (See Meditation 1305: It STILL does not work.] But I don't suppose we need expect consistency in any Christian Church teachings - after all, Christians don't seem to find doctrinal consistency necessary.

But of course I do have problems with what this sign is saying -- otherwise, I probably wouldn't be writing about it.

You see, to me, a conversation involves at least two parties, talking and listening in turn, each a full participant in the discussion. There's a give-and-take. A conversation is not, in my opinion, a monologue.

We do refer to a "one-way conversation" of course. But when referring to this type of conversation, we generally regard is as one person talking non-stop about "Me, me, me, me, ME!" and the listener(s) - well... just not listening anymore. They've tuned out.

So it's not really a conversation with someone else, it's more directed at. And there is no indication at all that the words are getting through. The talker might just as well be whispering into a dead cell phone.

And when we think of things that way, we end up with a pretty good description of prayer.

Prayer is simply a one-way conversation directed at a god.

Note:

* As usual, I tried to track down the source of the quotation, “A prayer is simply an honest conversation with God.” I found it attributed to Max Lucado, a Christian author and preacher. I'm not certain whether it originated with him. It seems popular to quote it, unattributed, in evangelical circles.

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