Trust in God vs. Gods for Hire

Radhachechi was our neighbour during my high school days. When the school exam season starts, Radhchechi and her children alongwith others in the colony goes to temple everyday. Exam specials.

I had a friend while in university who used to put Re1/- coin at the Parathottukaavu Ambalam (a local temple) as we walked up the hill to college on exam days. Some days he puts only 50 paise.
Reason? Well, I have not prepared at all. Even if God wants, not much can be done.
And on another day the reason could be different. I have prepared very well today, so I dont really care much about help of God.

Though I never complained -even now I do not- about Radhachechi or Biju (they have their own view and I respect it), I somehow disliked this practice. When in distress, call for God. And thank him for the job done. God for hire. Thats what I felt. And the collection boxes at temples, churches and mosques appears to say "tips accepted for a job well done" like in some US share-taxis.

I once thought it is more important and tougher for man to pray to God when he is in ease rather than just when he is in distress. I thought there was more stress to the word ease than distress. For me it felt quite natural to pray in distress. No big deal. But why this unnatural requirement of pray when in ease?

There came an eye opener in the form of Thankappan. Thankappan was an office boy where I was working for my second employer and had a very meagre monthly pay. One fine day (while his wife was expecting for a third time, after two miscarriages, and was under complete bed rest) the admin manager tells Thankappan that he is getting terminated. A two weeks notice he had. Can imagine the distress he had, when he requested me to suggest any job that I know of. But what took my attention was what he said smiling "mukalil oral undallo saare" [There is someone above us]. His trust in God. And that trust worked. Thankappan continued there and later got transferred to another unit closer to his hometown too. Thankappan might not have visited temples, not put money in tip boxes of the agents of Gods. But he had what was needed. Trust. iimaan.

I once thought it is more important and tougher for man to pray to God when he is in ease rather than just when he is in distress. I thought there was more stress to the word ease than distress. For me it felt quite natural to pray in distress. No big deal. But why this unnatural requirement of pray when in ease?

Thinking about this, I understand that while praying in distress is a natural phenomenon, while praying at ease could be possible with a little care, keeping trust in God during distress is indeed a tough task. While praying to God, if I start devising methods to come out of distress, which is not in the way God has guided me, which is not the way I understand is correct, I do not trust God. Why do I pay bribes to get things done? Why do I say lies to come out of problems? Why do I steal someone else's rights to get my things established? Because I do not trust God. Well, I do have faith, I do believe God, but I do not trust God. I am only keeping God as a backup option. I am assigning God as one of many options.

I remember once a colleague asked me "Riyaz, I understand you believe in God, right?"

Well, Do I? What is this belief and why? I can believe Bush is the President of US. I can even believe Osama bin Laden is alive and active. How does it affect me? I dont have faith in Bush and hence I do not believe what he says. I have faith in a friend of mine and I can believe him. But when I trust God, I do believe in him, I have faith in Him and moreover, I have the trust that He will help me when I am in need. I do not need to find other shortcuts. I do not need alternatives. No bribes, no lies and no forgeries.