Diary: 02

Wed 15th of May 2024 

We'd been planning our first Haven Zoom prayer time for a while. 'An opportunity to invite those interested in praying for the general Mernda, Woollert, Woodstock area and for the birth of Haven a proposed new faith community there.

Well, having written about the prayer time on this very blog, I then linked it, as you do, to my Facebook page to let people know -- and was promptly wrapped over the knuckles by a stern Facebook algorithm telling me I'd contravened their community guidelines. I tried again and again and again -- no good! Helpful friends suggested interesting,  but futile work-arounds.

Then a mate of mine kindly shared the exactly the same blog-post on their Facebook page with no problems at all,  but when I tried to share his Facebook post onto my Facebook feed -- Again with the stern warning and post removal! Why? Why THIS one post? “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine”

That left me picturing Mark Zuckerberg, evil red glint in his narrowed eyes, sitting in his control room reaching out like the Emperor in Star Wars and pulling the "kill-the-prayer-meeting" lever! Mwuahahaha!

Then on the morning of the Zoom prayer time, my wife came down with a dose of Covid and went to bed early and early that same afternoon I got a winter lurgy with a thumping headache. I was just too out-of-it to coordinate a Zoom meeting of any sort .... So we cancelled the Zoom meeting. As I lay in bed miserably listening to the drums in my head I couldn't help wondering if Bill Gates (probably sitting a-top Sauron's dark tower) hadn't issued the order: "Send out the 5G Covid viruses!"

But why? Sometimes it seems like the universe is conspiring against you just a little bit, doesn't it? I'm sure some of my dear friends might have told me that it was the evil one working against us. And other friends would have said actually,  it was God testing us. And yet others might have said it was a sign that Zoom prayer meetings are just plain wrong!

Maybe. But sometimes an algorithm is just an algorithm and a virus is just a virus. 'Stuff' happens and our patience and resilience is tested. And this here, is a just a very, very small first-world bit of 'stuff!' Plenty of people face massive 'stuff' and it's genuinely hard and perplexing! It's standing with them and sharing the load rather than finding answers. I'm put in mind of this poem by Carol Penner called "God Chooses Face Time."

We’re always calling God.

Where are you God?

Why don’t you pick up?

The phone rings and rings,

echoing in that heavenly chamber.

We check the number,

this has got to be right.

Finally God’s answering machine clicks in.

We hear God’s voice,

“Why are you calling me?

I’m standing right beside you.”

God present, alongside us in the messiness of life, in the internet glitches, viruses and all. Prayer times are about learning to see and hear as Jesus does and to put ourselves next to others with understanding and compassion. Anyway, I'm sure those who were planning to join in our Zoom meeting paused to meditate where they were! And we'll reschedule the next one for Monday week -- 8pm Mon 27 May -- SMS or email me if you are interested! (therevhead@mac.com) And you're welcome too, Mark and Bill!