Let us pray…

Today is the National Day of Prayer. People of all faiths are being called upon to pray for a myriad of tremendous needs in our area, our state, our country, and our world. I always feel a little funny on days like this. Not because I don’t believe in prayer, it’s because as a follower of Jesus I always wonder how I should think about being lumped together with people of all faiths, some of whom deny Christ’s deity and resurrection. Those are two foundational truths that our faith is built on.

I came up through the ranks, if you will, taking offense (or at least wanting to set them straight very quickly) at being put on an equal playing field in the pantheon of religions. Shouldn’t everyone know better? That if anyone knew much about Christianity that person would know that our prayers to the Risen Jesus were not the same as those of the Buddhist, Muslim, or Hindu. Well, no. People don’t. But our prayers are. To believe in the God of the heavens as revealed in His Son Jesus requires said believer to have no other Gods, no other objects of his or her spiritual affection, and certainly not to pray to any other deity.

So, where does that leave you and I on a day like this? Well, we cannot force the point; make a big deal of being one among many. I’m not sure today’s the day for it. Besides, what has usually come of being publicly loud about how things are or how we think they should be? Right. Probably nothing of lasting benefit to the Lord. Probably.

But, what if? What if we just went to prayer as believers not really worried about being called by culture as one among many. We know better, and in time-perhaps one person at a time, we’ll let the world know just how it is that we are different. And what we stand for, not necessarily against.

What if?

So, for today, keep calm and pray on…