Prayer 2.0

In our modern society, it’s so old-fashioned to pray with your hands clasped together.

The proper way to do it is to call God up on the phone. That’s what they do in the Netherlands… at least in one particular art exhibit:

Dutch artist Johan van der Dong chose a mobile phone number to show that God was available anywhere and anytime, Radio Netherlands reported.

…

Forming part of an art installation in the town of Groningen, the voicemail message says: “This is the voice of God, I am not able to speak to you at the moment, but please leave a message.”

Got that? God is available anywhere and anytime… but he won’t be around to pick up the phone. Just leave a message for him.

It won’t matter, though. Much like other Gods, this one won’t be listening to your messages either:

Although the hotline is officially launched on Saturday, the phone number has been active for the past week, with 1,000 messages left on the answerphone.

But the messages are to remain confidential and will not form part of the art project.

Van der Dong told Radio Netherlands: “I’m not a pastor, I’m an artist and I won’t listen to the messages.

So what message would you leave for a God who won’t answer His phone…?

(Thanks to Sarah for the link!)

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SeanG

I don’t think I’d leave a message. God can call me if he want to talk. Is this really art? That’s totally subjective so I suppose it is art to somebody. Aside from that, this isn’t a very original idea. The Swedish prog metal band Pain Of Salvation (a religious sounding name but not an overtly religious band) did the same thing on their 2004 cd “Be”. They invited fans to call a number and leave messages for god and some calls were used on a track on the album.
Ryan

That’s certainly one way to give the phone companies a lot of money.
Rest

Will you please take me off your spam list? Thanks.
Eliza

A classic, pertinent to this topic, explains how prayer works:
Mr Deity and the Messages
Sock

I would pray for the sun to come up tomorrow, and then thank God for answering my prayer.
Paul Fidalgo

I am looking forward to when God starts tweeting:

@yahweh So cool u r on Twitter! OMG! (oh, sorry)
hoverFrog

I have nothing to say to God. He’s supposed to be omniscient, can’t he tell me the message that I should have left?
Richard Wade

I always knew He was screening my calls. Pick up the phone, dammit!

Does the Almighty’s voice sound anything like the combined voices of Cecil B. DeMille and Charlton Heston as it is in The Ten Commandments?

Wait. Is the message in Dutch only? Or will an English-speaking caller hear an English message on the same phone? Is the call local or long distance? Are there roaming charges? What about after-hour or weekend rates? Does God still rest on Sundays? I wouldn’t want to wake up a grumpy god. If a telemarketer left a message offering carpet cleaning services, that could be one hell of a big commission.
Epistaxis

Sorry, wrong number.
SarahH

It actually reminded me of a joke my family’s pastor told once:

A traveling pastor was visiting Rome, and the priest giving him a tour of the Vatican showed him a shiny gold phone that he claimed was a hotline to God. “Calls are $10,000 a minute though,” he added.

Later, visiting London, the man giving him a tour of Westminster Abbey showed him another golden phone. “Calls are $10,000 a minute, unfortunately,” he told the pastor.

Finally, the pastor stopped by [insert the local town/state] and visited [the church you’re in]. He noticed a golden phone, and the tour guide smiled and said, “Yes, it’s nice having a hotline to God.” “But,” says the pastor, “isn’t it very expensive to call?” The man says, “Of course not – the call is local!”

Har har.
Hal in Howell MI

Reminds me of an episode of Mr. Deity. “Mr. Deity and the messages”
withheld

I didn’t know He was taking phone calls, but you can still email your prayers to Him. They will be printed and placed in the Western Wall.
Joe

Very interesting :o) If only I’d thought of that…… maybe you’d be writing about me! Here’s my site, Prayer 2.0.