Public Faith

And kneeling down on the beach, we prayed. (Acts 21:5)

As I was watching the Tour de France last summer I watched Alberto Contador prepare for the individual time trial on the next to last day of the Tour. As he sat on his bike in the starting block he made the sign of the cross. At first I was surprised. Professional cyclists are not known to be an overly religious crowd. As I thought about it, however, I realized that being a Spaniard he was most likely raised in the Roman Catholic church. I have no way of knowing whether Alberto's act was simply superstitious, force of habit, or genuine devotion to God, but I'm sure I'm not the only person who thought about God and faith when Contador crossed himself.

I wonder what other people on the beach in Tyre might have thought when they saw Paul and his companions, along with fellow believers from Tyre kneel down to pray? What went through the sailors' minds, or the minds of other passengers on the ship? We have no way of knowing, but they probably thought about God.

Most of the time, our devotional acts take place inside the walls of our church, or inside our own homes. They are not generally seen by other people, unless they are fellow believers. I think Paul and his companions were setting a good example for us by kneeling down on the beach to pray before sailing away from Tyre.

I love it when I am in a restaurant and a couple or a family will join hands and say grace before their meal. I think it's neat when a football player who has scored a touchdown kneels down and points to heaven to give God the glory. It's very moving to me to see players from both teams kneel in a circle after a game to pray.

When private acts of devotion to the Lord go public, it's a good thing. We should not be ashamed of our faith. We should be eager to have others see that we love the Lord because He first loved us. So the next time you're out in public and have reason to pray, or thank God, or praise Him, don't hesitate. Go for it! God will be pleased and glorified.