God, We're Supposed to Be Better Than This

A prayer of confession (or is it lamentation?) is all I can muster today.

God, we're supposed to be better than this.

As of Monday night, we've shut down the federal government of the United States because we can't stop arguing about health care. Yes, we. We're in this together, Democrats and Republicans, and sadly, when it comes to offering people access to the private health insurance market, we don't work together very well. Your Son called us to heal the sick. Ok. But we'd rather argue about how, who, whether, and how much. And it's not like you need our help, do you? In case you hadn't noticed, we're busy right now.

God, we're supposed to be better than this.

We confess that we haven't just gone on some crazy government "slimdown" fad diet. We're not even fasting. That would show spiritual discipline. Instead, we've told our Representatives whose health plans we pay for to shut things down and grandstand for the cameras. After all, we'd rather argue than serve. We confess we would rather stage photo-op raids on closed monuments on the National Mall than keep children in Head Start. We confess that we're okay holding our poorest citizens hostage while we fight about ideology and money. We also confess we're okay stringing along our military veterans' widows' while they wait for their nursing home claims to be processed. There are so many sins of omission and commision we can't even name them all, not that we even want to. Now we're hearing shots fired at the Capitol, asking a skeleton crew of "essential" security to lockdown the city center and protect us. If they don't, you will, right?

God, we're supposed to the better than this.

We say we care about financial markets, but we confess we don't. We'd rather shut down the Labor Department so Friday's jobs report won't be coming now. No matter. We don't mind. Maybe this way Wall Street will learn who butters their bread. And who needs to count the unemployed anyway? It's not like they count to us. Lazy bums. If they don't work they shouldn't eat. You said that, right? So you understand. Oh, and those trying to buy homes with federally guaranteed loans (FHA, VA, and others) will just have to wait. You'll cover them with your sheltering wings while we work this out, won't you, dear Lord?

God, we're supposed to be better than this.

Please be with Ted Cruz, even though we'll pay for his doctor's visits, and John Boehner, too. In your mercy and justice, we know you'll be with them. And if you could, please also watch over the people who really are getting sick and going hungry and getting behind on rent, and also those we're making work without pay because we think they're essential. It's not that we want them to suffer (we're not monsters), but surely they'll understand that we can't just offer anyone food stamps anymore. The leeches. You are so good, God. We don't know what they'd do without you.

God, we're supposed to be better than this.

But we're not. If you can forgive us, you're better than we are. Amen.