I’m going to defend Pat Robertson – sort of. Mocking him is such an easy thing to do. The basics – he is predicting a mass terrorist attack later this year. More specifically, he is saying that God told him about the terrorist attacks and that he is just relaying the message. Not surprisingly he is being lampooned. It seems his prophetic track record leaves a lot to be desired – for instance, no tsunami his the US last year. But it is also possible that God did tell him this and it could occur and then wouldn’t we all look silly. There ends my defense.

Here begins my real thought – God does speak to people. I think it is true that very often we mistake the God’s voice for our own desires. A friend of mine who had a horrific year with business, family, finances, and health said to me over dinner on Saturday night that someone came to him at the beginning of 2006 with tears in their eyes saying, “God said this is going to be a year of rest of your family.” My friend said it was a good thing laws against stoning false prophets were no longere enforced.

Dealing with my own health issues I’ve often tried to get answers from God on big questions – will I be healed? When? How long do I have? Will I ever be able to slam dunk a basketball like Michael Jordan? And I’ve heard lots of answers. Yes, who knows, a while, no (in order). Are those God’s answers? How do I know?

At the end of the day I don’t know. I believe them – particularly the one about never being able to slam dunk a basketball. But more than anything I have to believe something more simple – God. Because it is God that I worship and trust and not the particulars of an answer. So if the things I think are from God turn out to be wrong and I end up being a dominating basketball player with my own shoes designed by Nike I will still trust God. And I will still believe in his ability to tell me things…and in Pat hearing them too.