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God—what do you need Him to be?

From the May 2004 issue of The Christian Science Journal


Many people today are asking: Is there something beyond what I can see? Is there a higher power? Who or what is God?

Questions like these make me think of a joke I heard years ago when I worked in an employee benefits consulting firm. I was surrounded by actuaries— professionals who use statistics and the laws of probability to calculate insurance premiums and pension benefits.

We heard a lot of actuary jokes—like this one: A new king, seeking expert guidance, gathered his advisors together. He asked the mathematician, "How much is 2+2?" The mathematician took out a pencil and paper and wrote "2+2=x." After a minute or so, he replied, "2+2=4." Then the king turned to the accountant. "How much is 2+2?" The accountant studied his balance sheet and answered, "2+2=4." Finally, the king turned to the actuary. "How much is 2+2?" Without a moment's hesitation, the actuary replied, "What do you need it to be?"