This isn’t really the day of anonymous friends saying things. With this one I am just helping someone save face.
I get an instant message, “a prayer request”
Next line: “trading deadline is today, you know the sox are close to getting jermaine dye
and, you know, pray for poor people and the sick, too”
Translation: the Red Sox are about to get a really great player but my friend – as a Sox fan – still lives in total fear that everything will go horribly wrong and somehow the Yankees will get everyone…at the same time… a not irrational fear.

My friend and I have long gone back and forth on prayer – is it right, for instance, to pray for parking. My friend says no – it is arrogant. I say yes – if God cares about sparrows he can care about parking… or the Red Sox. So I’ve said a quick prayer.