Angry Sandwich

When I got home this evening, Izzy let me know some sad/concerning/disturbing news about a longtime friend of ours. One of those situations where there's nothing we can fix at a distance, and nothing that would obviously be fixed by traveling right now to see this person.

In Mark 9, Jesus' disciples, on their two-by-two mission trips, found themselves unable to solve a problem (in this case cast a demon out of a child.) Jesus commanded the demons to leave the child, who fell into convulsions as they left.

28: When he entered the house, his disciples asked him in private, "Why could we not drive it out?"
29 : He said to them, "This kind can only come out through prayer."

This sort of thing needs time to work itself out. This kind can only [be fixed] through prayer.

I went through the stages of being upset, angry, worried, concerned, etc. as I prepared my sandwich after receiving the news. I realized I was angry as I wielded the scissors to open the Tofurkey slices. As I sliced the cheese. As I slapped the bread onto the plate. As I thought "How awful! How can this have happened?! How [insert word indicating that things are pretty bad here]!

As I found myself assuming that nothing will change from the way it is right at this very moment.

Calmer now, I see how critical that last sentence is. My boss and I talked yesterday about Newton's first law of Motion -- it applies here.

Newton's first law: law of inertia
Lex I: Corpus omne perseverare in statu suo quiescendi vel movendi uniformiter in directum, nisi quatenus a viribus impressis cogitur statum illum mutare.

An object at rest will remain at rest unless acted upon by an external and unbalanced force. An object in motion will remain in motion unless acted upon by an external and unbalanced force.

I tend to think that the way something is now, or the way I perceive something to be, is as it always will be. World without end. This is often true even if I know that things now are not as they have always been.

Things in motion tend to stay in motion...
Things at rest tend to stay at rest...

I tend to forget the external and unbalanced force. The great interruption. What is it that happens when we pray. Why it is that we need to pray.

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The KJV version of this passage adds fasting:

28 And when he was come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, Why could not we cast him out?
29 And he said unto them, This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.

While I cannot do a regular fast, I'll be spending extra time in prayer during lunch tomorrow for our friend. Anyone wishing to add prayers for Izzy & Lizzie's friend is welcome to do so. God will know for whom you are praying.