Before you write me an angry letter, let me clear the air. I am not talking about God saying anything. What I am talking about is the stupid stuff we say God says.
It starts like this, “I feel that God is wanting me to tell you…” This is just one of hundreds of variations on a theme of blaming God for really stupid stuff.
Just after meeting with a family to discuss the funeral of a loved one, Mary asked to speak with me. She sat down and started to cry. Her coworker is a pastor’s wife. Mary told me that this woman had come to her and said that God had spoken to her and wondered if Mary wanted to know what God had to say. My initial reaction was to shout “NO!!!” Sadly, she said yes.
Evidently, God said that her sons leukemia was the mothers fault. Her backsliding ways and blasphemous talk had done this to her son. My blood was boiling. That was devastating enough but ‘God’ wasn’t done ‘talking.’
Mary’s son, Tom, looked like he was going to make a recovery. ‘God’ once again chose the pastor’s wife to make another pronouncement. She said that God was pleased with her repentance and that her son would live. Mind you, we are speaking at the funeral home.
With tears in her eyes, she asked me if it was her fault that her son died?
First I apologized for my sister in the Lord. She misspoke about God and was not totally responsible for her actions. This was due to the fact, I assured her, that this woman had ingested a large quantity of paint chips when she was a child. I also assured her that what this woman said was B.S. (biblical stupidity). This woman was blaming God for the things she felt she needed to say.
It would have been better if this woman simply took responsibility for her thoughts and ideas on death and dying. She had decided that it was better to make God sound like a crazy person.
When I listen to what some folks say that God is saying, I catch myself thinking, “God cannot possibly be that stupid.” And I know I am right. God isn’t.
Skin Ministries 
When my wife and I were pregnant with our son, somebody prophesied over us that it was a girl. At that point, we already had an ultrasound that said otherwise.
Maybe the ultrasound was wrong. Can’t possibly be God, right?
Two questions:
1- why do people go and say such stupid things to to other people when they are most vulnerable?
2- why are we often left in the position to undo the stupid things they say and do, and must apologize when they have no sorrow or shame for their own actions?
I guess answering both of those questions will give us insight into the love of Jesus, who said from the Cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”
On the plus side, I spoke with the mother today at the funeral and she was feeling relieved and ‘so much better.’ As to question 1: Really, I don’t really know. As to question 2: I guess I am happy to be able to help.
There is something amazing about those words from the cross.
As always, thanks for responding!