
Heaven. God and Jesus on Their eternal thrones. They are surrounded by a steady stream of various-sized bubbles. These are prayers wafted aloft from Earth, by many millions of people. Mostly the Deity and His Son ignore the bubbles. Every once in a while, Jesus pops one of the them with His fingertip. An unanswered prayer falls out, screaming piteously on its way back to Earth.
JESUS: Me Christ! Another prayer for the Jets to win the Super Bowl!
GOD: (snorts) Might as well pray to win the lottery. I already sent the Jets Aaron Rogers. Not that I thought he would help. I just wanted to mess with the Holy Ghost’s football pool.
JESUS: He does seem to be extra surly lately. The Ghost, that is. Aaron Rodgers is as weird as ever. I know, I know…that’s the way You made him. Hey, there’s a pretty big bubble. Never seen one flying the Russian flag before.
GOD: Pop it! Eternity seems kind of boring today. Who’s it from?
JESUS: Vladimir Putin! And get this—he’s praying for Trump!
GOD: I’m so glad I created irony. Haven’t they both sold their souls to Satan? Better shoot the Dark Prince an email, let him know he’s having contract problems.
JESUS: I’m going to answer it.
GOD: No! It’s policy. We just let things play out. Trump and Putin will be rubbing sunscreen on each other by the Eternal Lake of Fiery Lava soon enough.
JESUS: “Dear Vlad. It was so nice to hear from you. I get so tired of prayers for dead Ukrainian children from their pesky parents. Also, for the souls of dead Russian soldiers from their mothers, mothers who don’t even know for sure that their sons are dead because your boys disappear the bodies. But We know they’re dead, because they’re crowding the foyer Up Here. And you’re praying for your minion, Trump—how sweet! Why don’t you add a few thoughts and prayers for the confused North Koreans you’ve pushed in front of tanks in Kursk? And speaking of pushing, how about all those enemies you’ve shoved off of balconies? We needed to add a special section for them…"
GOD: Knock it off! I’d better see you crumple that up and throw it away!
JESUS: Oh, I will. (Wads answer to prayer into a ball, but instead of tossing it into the Heavenly recycle bin, He lofts it far over the lip of Heaven.
GOD: Medammit! Putin could get that!
JESUS: He could.
GOD: You know sarcasm is punishable by death in Russia?
JESUS: (Gives His Father side-eye) Eternal Being here, Dad. What’s Putin going to do, crucify Me? (laughs, with an undertone of bitterness) Enough of this—I’m going off to play with my quasar collection.
GOD: Please do. You’ve done quite enough damage here. And don’t give Me that bullshit about quasars. You’re going off drinking with Joan of Arc again. Remember, I KNOW EVERYTHING!
JESUS: Just checking, Dad. Thought you might be slipping. I'll tell Joan You sent her Your regards. Ta-ta!