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Found a new favorite passage in The Brothers K that had me wishing I was already performing improv comedic sketches with God in heaven and leaning against Him as we fished together at my favorite lake, Lake George in Mammoth. I tried to type the passage, but it’s really too long, so sadly I’ll have to fill in the context (the author always writes it so much better) and give a couple of my favorite quotes from it.

Simply put, the protagonist, a little boy named Kincaid, is getting scared because his mom left the house on account of a big fight with his dad one evening, and his dad bought a bunch of beer. So, Kincaid runs into the bathroom and starts praying an extra long, extra holy prayer “sticking ‘-eths’ on the end of words like ‘beggeth’ and ‘beseecheth’” and relating the entire night’s events to God. “And this is the trouble,” I told Him. “So if You would disappeareth the rest of Papa’s beers for me, Lord, I sure would appreciate it. I thank thee. Amen”

Kincaid finally leaves the bathroom, entering the living room with high expectations, only to find his Dad guzzling down a cold one. “I fired off another prayer…to let Jesus know that only a wise guy would think I was asking for the beers to disappear down Papa.”

Kincaid continues to have a conversation with God about not answering his prayer, and God replies to him with some funny remarks. “He started answering me in the head the way He does sometimes. He knew everything. Knew, for example, that I had Soap Mahoney’s lucky Bazooka [gum not gun] right there in my pocket and could easily have made a wish to disappear the beer on that. Feeling selfish, I admitted I was kind of hoping to save the lucky gum.” Kincaid continues to whine while God cheekily encourages him to use the lucky gum on his Dad. “‘What a friend I have in Jesus!’ I snapped right back.”

So his father procedes to get plastered, while Kincaid watches warily. However, to Kincaid’s surprise, his Dad doesn’t get belligerent; in fact, he becomes really funny, enjoyable, and fatherly. As his father later tucks him into bed,

“I shot off another sleepy prayer, just to forgive Jesus for not answering the prayer I’d prayed earlier. I suppose He knew all along how much beer Papa could hold. And who knows, maybe Papa had prayed himself. Maybe he’d asked Jesus to let him drink his fill in his own house in peace for once, and begged Him to ignore anybody who sent up messages to the contrary. Prayer is mysterious, and God is even worse. I don’t completely understand it yet.”

—-Duncan, David James, The Brothers K, (New York: Dial Press, 1992), 23-24.

I adore how this passage portrays both Kincaid and God. Here’s a little boy, already having conversations with God, already having frustration with God, and God responds with an outpouring of humor, a little mystery, and love. The kid’s outright honest with God, but He doesn’t seem to mind. He likes it. He likes teasing Kincaid about withholding his lucky Bazooka - but in the end blesses him more than Kincaid could have imagined. I didn’t mention it above for fear of being longwinded, but later in the night he has nightmares, and his Dad comes and sings him back asleep. The moment is magical for Kincaid - too much so for me to reiterate. But it reminds of God’s goodness and out-of-the-boxness and his tremendous ability to bring a healing laughter into tough situations.

God, You never cease to fascinate me, especially when everyday You are showing me more of the greatness of Your understanding, Your compassion, Your belly-laughing humor, Your individual attention and love to our individual quirks, and Your ability to heal human interaction. I see this passage from The Brothers K as a delightfully affectionate tribute to You.

Love,
Ander