Desperate, Sarcastic & Sincere Prayer of Protest

Older son, Everett, describing the only prayer that would make sense if God were really God:

" 'Hello there, God. I know Thy Will is being done today, as usual, and I think that's terrific as usual. Of course to me Your Will looks like a crazy mess that's getting the rich richer and the poor poorer and the innocent killed and babies stomped and starved and the whole world in danger of being blown up any minute by atom bombs and all. But You know all about me thinking that, since You made me. So, uh, sorry. And please, go right ahead and do Your Will no matter what I think, even if it kills us. Talk to You tomorrow, Lord! Love, Everett.' "

Peter and Irwin were both grinning, but Everett looked dead serious from beginning to end. "That," he said, "is why, at supper, I was gonna propose to God, if there is one, not that He change His will, not that He remake or unmake the life he gave Papa, but just that He hand me enough of the rotten part of Papa's life, and Papa enough of the good part of mine, to get him back out on the ballfield. You see? But now" -he sat down, sighed, and shook his head- "now I see that I was just being stupid."

David James Duncan, The Brothers K, p. 177