My friend Jim ...
Is a Christian. He was always very tolerant of the rest of us not being so, which was appreciated as no one likes to be preached at - specially if you don't care.

One year, he was taken very ill at christmas. We had been told through the grape vine that he was in a very bad way, and that his family were holding a prayer service.

"bugger - he must be pretty friggin ill if prayer is the only thing left for him - we better go round and see whats going on"

The next 2 hours were the most uncomfortable of my life - listening to people criticise the doctors and nurses in favour of god's cure, various family friends egged on by the displays of others, trying to outdo each other in their speaking of tongues. Don't get me wrong - it was touching to see how people were upset by his illness ... but it was very very odd. The only good news came from someone accidentally complaining that they couldn't see him properly because there were too many doctors in his room.

He was fine in a few weeks - and when we saw him next, the first thing he said was 'thanks for going to my prayer service lads!' . we'd seen him in hospital on christmas day, but he appreciated the fact that i'd sat and listened to some guy pretend to be a conduit for voice of the almighty, that little bit more.

That day is now referred to as Jim's 'funeral'.
(PickledEgg, Tue 24 Mar 2009, 20:39, Reply)