A Godless Take on Abraham and Isaac

OK, I know this is supposed to be atheist humor and all that, but are there any other believers out there who find this Abraham sketch hilarious? I've watched it a dozen times, and it still cracks me up.

One of my favorite books ever is Søren Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling, which is an extended reflection on the Abraham and Isaac story, and one of my favorite blog posts ever is Mr. Fob's wrenching reflection on the same. So appropriate, I guess, that I add this sketch to the collection.

Every once in a while, some mentally unstable parent makes national headlines by reenacting the drama of Abraham and Isaac in real life, except that in their "revelatory" experiences, God forgets to tell them it's just a test. Kierkegaard's Fear and Trembling agonizes over the dangerous potential of preaching on the story of Abraham and Isaac, for fear of certain inappropriately pious parishioners taking it too literally.

So part of me thinks this is absolutely no laughing matter at all. Still, I laugh my ass off every time I watch this. Maybe it's because the story of Abraham and Isaac is so existentially unnerving, and I need the comic relief to help me process it.

But I guess I also like it because it so deliciously lampoons the kind of mindless, uncaring group-think I find to be the antithesis of true faith. My southern, fundamentalist sister-in-law thinks the sketch is hilarious too. So maybe to the chagrin of my atheist readers who think this is a spot-on portrait of faith... For what it's worth, at least two believers appreciate it for what it tells us faith is not.

(Or maybe it's just that the lines are so perfectly delivered. The guy who plays God in this sketch is brilliant!)

Waiting As Spiritual Practice

I love Psalms 130 and 131, particularly these two passages:

I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. (130: 5-6)

Surely I have behaved and quieted myself, as a child that is weaned of his mother: my soul is even as a weaned child. (131: 2)

To me, these verses are about those times when I don't feel the Spirit. When I feel unsteady, or alone, or afraid, I know that it is time simply to calm my heart, go about my business, and wait with a prayer in my heart. Eventually, I will feel the Spirit again, just as those that wait for the morning eventually see the sun rise. My moods may fluctuate, but I can be steady, and trust that I will find my way again. I've realized that sometimes God expects us to stand up on our own ("like a weaned child"), to see what we can do on our own best resources. In those moments, I just do the best I can, even if I feel inadequate, knowing that I will learn something important. And knowing that even when I feel alone, I am never truly alone.