Lovely yet pointless sentiment

Julie Neighbourly Lead from Havelock North

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not anti faith. I don’t believe in any religion, but I have a great deal of faith. It’s been well tested over my half a century, but I still have it.

But, I feel faith is pointless, without practical purpose. Especially if it involves spending money sending thoughts and prayers, instead of donating to worthy, desperate causes, such as the cyclone relief funds, that are so sorely needed at the moment.

I just took a stamped, posted, envelope out of my letterbox, with a lovely, handwritten letter, offering me “comforting thought from the scriptures”, and I wonder how much money did that kind person spend to send me, a complete stranger (envelope addressed “To The Resident”) and however many others these missives.

At $1.70 postage, per letter, plus the envelope and paper, and printed flyer, that’s potentially a lot of “thoughts” that could have put food on tables or bedrolls under bodies. Would that not have been a better option, than randomly sending people quotes from the scriptures?

My priest, growing up Catholic, would tell us every Wednesday at bible practice “turn your hands to practical matters and your hearts to spiritual”. And he’d follow that up with the simple explanation “Do something useful”.

So, dear people, rather than preach about how the big G cares about us, show you care about others, and live your faith, practically. If you can’t physically help, don’t waste money preaching, use it to help. Don’t be the preacher on the cliff who let the boy fall, because God loved him. Turn your hands to practical matters, and your hearts to faith!

And if your church is footing the bill, there’s better things they can do with the money too.

Keep the faith, but, please, do something practical. I don’t need saving, but thousands really do.