I was speaking to a friend today at the grocery store, he said to me during his darkest moments of bipolar-induced schizophrenia and about to lose his over two-decade career, he called out to God and said, “I’m Joe, God, not Job. Joe. Not Job.”<\/p>\n
I had just told him that God must be bored with me again, dangling lightning between my eyes, just seeing if I would snap.<\/p>\n
So I say, “I’m Rachel, God, not Job. Rachel. Not Job.”<\/p>\n
Another friend quotes a Randy Newman lyric to me – \u00a0“Lord, if you won’t take care of us\/Won’t you please please let us be?” And I hear Etta James’ rendition in my mind of God’s Song:<\/p>\n
God’s Song<\/p>\n
Cain slew Abel Seth knew not why
\nFor if the children of Israel were to multiply
\nWhy must any of the children die?
\nSo he asked the Lord
\nAnd the Lord said:<\/p>\n
“Man means nothing he means less to me
\nthan the lowiliest cactus flower
\nor the humblest yucca tree
\nhe chases round this desert
\ncause he thinks that’s where i’ll be
\nthat’s why i love mankind<\/p>\n
I recoil in horror from the foulness of thee
\nfrom the squalor and the filth and the misery
\nHow we laugh up here in heaven at the prayers you offer me
\nThat’s why i love mankind”<\/p>\n
The Christians and the Jews were having a jamboree
\nThe Buddhists and the Hindus joined on satellite TV
\nThey picked their four greatest priests
\nAnd they began to speak
\nThey said “Lord the plague is on the world
\nLord no man is free
\nThe temples that we built to you
\nHave tumbled into the sea
\nLord, if you won’t take care of us
\nWon’t you please please let us be?”<\/p>\n
And the Lord said
\nAnd the Lord said<\/p>\n
“I burn down your cities–how blind you must be
\nI take from you your children and you say how blessed are we
\nYou must all be crazy to put your faith in me
\nThat’s why i love mankind
\nYou really need me
\nThat’s why i love mankind”<\/p>\n
~ Randy Newman<\/p>\n