The answer is yes

"The answer is yes." 2 Cor 1:18

The closest I have ever gotten to the Throne of Grace in this world was my father's mohair chair, where he held court in the evenings after supper. He sat reading the evening paper, his head tilted back to see through the bottom half of his bifocals and, inexplicably, often wore his hat, a carryover from the Depression years in Minnesota when houses were cool and drafty.

He could field any homework question, especially math, and he was open to requests for permission for this or that. A quick no was final, but hesitation left room for negotiation. My younger brother discovered that "maybe" meant "yes," but at a later time. My sister, the only girl after six boys, could get anything she asked for.

I try to imagine a day in which the answer is always yes. Think of a drive into work where all the lights turned green as soon as you approached. What if we knew that a prayer would be answered; how carefully we would think through what we were asking for. What if the whole world was granted a yes day. What would be the outcome if every prayer were answered?

Yes is an attitude we find hard to get used to. A superior in a religious community once said he had too many men "who wouldn't take yes for an answer." The go ahead meant taking initiative to do something and taking responsibility for the outcome. It is easier to assume that our plans are not possible or being opposed. It gets us off the hook.

"As God is faithful, our word to you is not yes and no. In him, the answer is yes." Spread the word. Just for today, you can get anything you ask for.

[These reflections (and sketches) by Pat Marrin are inspired by the day's scripture readings.]