Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Why Didn't God Pay Her Restaurant Tab?

Should she have cleared it with Him before ordering?

From News2 (NBC Affiliate, South Carolina):
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) – A woman was arrested Sunday night after refusing to pay her dinner tab at a Myrtle Beach seafood restaurant because, as she explained to police, “Jesus” was going to cover the cost of her meal. 
Myrtle Beach Police were called to Bennetts Calabash just after 9 p.m. Sunday night when, according to the incident report, 51-year-old April Lee Yates was asked to leave by management, but refused to do so. The report states that Yates was in the restaurant for nearly four hours before she started to cause a disturbance with other patrons. Management asked Yates to pay her dinner tab and leave, but she refused to pay the $26 bill. 
When the officer asked Yates if she had any money to pay, Yates said she did not. The officer then asked Yates what she planned to do with the bill came, and Yates explained that “Jesus” was going to pay her tab. 
Yates was arrested for defrauding a restaurant and booked into the Myrtle Beach jail.
I hope I'm not being irreverent with the post title. But after all, God could have paid her tab (He's God), and not even in an obvious or dramatic way--perhaps by causing a "forgotten" $26 to be found in her pocket, for example, or in softening the heart of the manager on duty so that he would have prevailed on the police to give her a pass or whatever--but He didn't.

Don't laugh, but I actually think it's an interesting question to ask why, especially given the Pope's recent homily on the miracle of the loaves and fishes. And no this isn't (thank God) an anti-Francis post.

Don't answer if you don't believe in God, because then the answer's obvious and trivial. But if you do believe in God, then seriously,

Why didn't God pay her tab?

8 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Do you think if Bergoglio had read The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, the course of history would be different?

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    2. Recent #Pope Francis Tweet is stirring up some controversy: "God's love is free. He asks for nothing in return: all he wants is for his love to be accepted." https://twitter.com/romereports/status/613268131801362432/photo/1

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    3. I think he read Stranger in a Strange Land in his formative years.

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  2. 1) Man shall not live by bread alone

    2) You shall not put the Lord your God to the test

    Gut reaction? While the mind of God is inscrutable, I expect she probably could have paid for that meal, or easily done without, and also what Susan said.

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