This question crossed my mind last Sunday, as I was watching the Cup of African Nations final (and
Egypt kept the title, btw - BOOYAKASHAH!) and I was hearing the comments of the rest of the audience where I was. From the ‘Yaaaaa rab neksab’ to the ‘the referee is biased against us, God will surely make it up to us (ye3awwad 3aleina)’ I wondered how much faith they had in their national team, and how much they were counting on a divine intervention to help them win!
And I wondered - do people actually think that God cares about this football game? I mean, people, seriously? God will intervene in the game’s events and make us win because we’re praying for a win?
The question probably applies to everything else we do - from applying to a school (and btw, I got the reply today from my top choice for PhDs and it was negative... sigh) to driving your car (and hoping that God will save you from having an accident or, even better, will ensure the roads are clear).
The basic answer is yes, I guess - God does care about all the minute and silly and insignificant details of our lives.
Though I sometimes think that, when it came to the CAN’s final, the outcome would be so insignificant in the grand scheme of things that, well, He wouldn’t waste his time in front of the telly..
6 comments:
Well he should because I found the egyptian team brilliant.
Also, I clearly remember him helping out Maradona in 86... :o)
Oh, and sorry for your PhD
First of all, congrats on Egypt winning the cup. I saw the reviews on TV and thought of you. :)
Second, the question about whether God listen is very interesting. My personal answer would be yes, however, like you, I often question people who pray to God for things like... winning presidential elections ( here in the US that is so prevalent), winning games, etc. Also, in a more disturbing manner, I often hear people praying for God to help them win the war (also here in the US, Israel etc). I often find that offensive that God would take "sides" in things like war and violence.
I do pray to God a lot, even minute things, because it gives me strengh and confidence. Heck, I prayed for my university application and got into my top university (Cambridge Univ). :)
Even though, I am sure you don't want to hear that... sorry about your application. Where else have you applied?
hence the reason I stopped appealing to God in regards to penalty kicks.
I think its a waste of a dua.
I enjoy your blog.
Molly - thanks for the compliment! And I think that God does enjoy penalty kicks as well.. while sitting back and just watching, so that only the player (or the goalie) can take the blame. :-)
Seg - yes, they were brilliant. A welcome change, if you want my opinion.
Vertigo - i sometimes feel that people think of God as their very strong yet somewhat capricious wingman. (I re-read this and it sounds weird but oh well.) I think that, somehow, He offers to play that job - under a couple of strict conditions, such as a) you're not trying to harm people and b) that you actually give it your best, rather than sit on your bottom and wait for a divine intervention..
We should have more of these religious debates! I'll try to post more of that stuff :-)
Thank you all for reading!
I know it's a late comment, but I really liked the post.
If God can hear me while I am at the dentist, praying he wouldn't use the drill and if he would, then that I wouldn't need anesthesia, I think he can hear 70 million Egyptians praying to win.
The idea of God in front of the telly is strange, I always imagined him watching us from a sacred pool or something (the effect of reading one too many fantasy novels).
Sacred pool.. hmm.. very Olympic, isn't it..
Here's the thing, though. If God hears the Egyptians' prayers to win, he probably hears the prayers of the people of (other insert country's name).
So on what ground does He answer one and not the other? Mesh fahem...
And good luck at the dentist's, my friend. :)
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