Living Faith

When I left my house I was wondering how many would show up early that morning. I hoped I wouldn’t be the only one. I was fairly certain that there would be at least a couple others, but I wasn’t really sure what to expect. Sometimes invitations to a time of prayer feel a little awkward and life has a way of presenting obstacles that give us a convenient excuse not to go.  I wondered how many would have life sidetrack their good intentions. 

I was quickly encouraged from the start when someone I didn’t expect, met me in the hallway headed to the same room where our prayer time was taking place. Soon another joined us, then a couple more walked in. Then the doors kept opening as more and more stepped into the room. Much to my surprise (and shame for doubting) the room was full. At least 15 had gathered to join in prayer, anxious for God to intervene in the events of the day! It was one of those “wow” moments that made me realize how blessed I was to have these people around me sharing a common bond in Christ and a common hope in the power of God to do things that we can not. 

It’s not that I have never been in a group to pray before. Through the years there have often been times where I have felt compelled to join friends in prayer for the circumstances we find ourselves in or for the turmoil that surrounds us. I have prayed frequently with members of our church, with various small groups, and at special events. But this was different than all of those times in the past, because this was at my school. Those gathered in the room were my colleagues and the initiative for this time came from our principal!

How cool is that?

As Christians we often say things that we don’t fully understand or appreciate. We are good at talking about God at work and then miss what he is doing all around us. We talk about being brothers and sisters in Christ, but daily we act like strangers. We speak of the importance of our faith, but conveniently set it aside when our workday begins. We desire love and peace and kindness and grace and mercy... and then walk into conflict and hang onto bitterness...

And by “we,” I really mean “me,” but I suspect that I am not alone.

When we were done praying I had a new appreciation for our common bond in Christ. I suddenly saw in a tangible way, that our love for God transcends our differences that we, too often allow to cause division. I walked away encouraged, inspired, joyful, and hopeful. There was also a part of me, though, that felt a little nervous, or scared or sad, or something else that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. 

It was a great moment, but was it only a moment? 

Why did it take so long for something like this to happen?

Was this something that would fade with time or would we all learn something from it? 

Did that Tuesday morning mean anything beyond Tuesday?

What do we do now? Anything?

I have a bad tendency to wait for other people to do things. My hesitancy often leads to inaction and missed opportunities. Out of fear of doing the wrong thing, or the awkward thing or the thing that others will think is foolish, I often just do nothing at all. I frequently hear the words of my Dad echo in my head, who saw that tendency in me, saying, “Just do something, even if it is wrong.” Not that I have fully embraced it, but I still hear those words at times like these. 

The idea of trying to thwart my passivity, especially in regards to being more open about my faith at school, really started sometime last year. Last spring and summer it seemed like I was constantly being challenged to be more open about my faith. God used books, articles, videos, conversations, and experiences to poke me, in good ways, to “just do something” and let him worry about the end result. That Tuesday morning time of prayer was, in some ways, another “poke,” but also a way of showing that when we throw something out there with the intention of bringing him glory, he will make it stick. God has a way of working through our fears and awkwardness. Sometimes the results are immediately recognizable and sometimes he makes us wait to see the impact, but he always works through our right intentions. I’m not sure what my principal expected when he put out the invitation, but I am guessing the result exceeded what he hoped for.

I am learning from moments like this (lessons I should have learned long ago). I am learning not to worry about expressions of faith and how they might be perceived. Rather I am more concerned if others wonder about my faith because I have kept it so hidden. I am learning that there are powerful moments that can happen, even in relatively small risks that we take for the sake of the kingdom. Above all else I am learning that as brothers and sisters in Christ, we need encouragement from one another and even need to be challenged by one another, more than we need to be safe from one another.