Many people pray as if God were a big aspirin pill; they come only when they hurt.

The line criticizes a purely instrumental approach to religion: treating prayer as an emergency remedy rather than an ongoing relationship or practice. By comparing God to “a big aspirin pill,” it suggests people often seek divine help only when in pain—physical, emotional, or circumstantial—then neglect prayer once relief comes. The image implies both impatience (wanting quick results) and a reduction of the sacred to a utilitarian service. Implicitly, the quote commends steadier, more grateful, and more contemplative prayer—one rooted in devotion and moral formation, not merely crisis management.