Who answers Facebook prayers

I’m not sure what people did before Facebook, but my friends are using the social networking tool to post some rather personal prayers for all to see.

Just today I was rather taken aback by a Facebook friend’s status update prayer for forgiveness for one or other transgression.

Hopefully the recipient of their prayers is connected via social media as well.

Makes one wonder what happened to whispered or even silent prayers in a church or bedroom.

It does make for interesting Facebook feeds though. And makes you aware of your friends’ states of mind – allowing one to know where to get the gossip or who to avoid.

Or our colleague sitting quietly in his/her office might send out a prayer asking for forgiveness for those they offended today. And you think “Yayyyy! They are aware of their bitchiness towards me.”

Only to realise they also offended their husband/wife /girlfriend/hairdresser, etc,

But what do you do if a close friend or family member updates their status/prays for guidance about a rather serious personal matter?

Do you comment with advice (for all their friends) to see? Or do they expect a divine response to their prayer. On Facebook?

If you are anything as nosy as I am, you wonder why the anxiety ridden prayers for deliverance from current torment.

What did they do, you might wonder. As I sometimes do.

These things are not as easy as they used to be.

Prayers were private matters between you and your God/god. People shared with those they felt closest to and trusted.

Everything was on a need to know basis.

Now it’s between you, your God/god, your Facebook friends and everyone you include in your feeds. And every time Facebook changes their privacy settings, your profile is open to the entire Facebook world!

And then there’s that fervent prayer for the Boks to win their rugby matches, to which I want to say “amen”. But I already set my profile status as “not religious”.