Praying and Doing and Talking

At the bottom of my email is an African proverb that reads,

"Pray, but when you pray, move to your feet."

I demonstrated this for some friends by leaning back, folding my hands, and riding an air bicycle.

In reality, we do far more talking about praying and talking about doing than actually praying and doing.*

A few weeks ago, our Sunday morning bible class met at a friend's place to discuss how we discern God's will in our lives. I made a comment to our group that, based on what I had read (not being a scholar), it seems that Christians in the first couple of centuries weren't worried about these big questions we dwell on (i.e., Why is there evil? What is God's will? etc.). Brent Clifton, a wonderful lawyer who also has an M.Div., quickly corrected me by pointing out several passages where Jesus and his followers set time out to pray and seek God's will (See John, Acts, Romans, etc.). Clarifying my thought, I responded by saying, "Yes, but they were praying and seeking God's will, not just talking about it."

Somewhere along the line our intellects became obese and now our feet can no longer support them. Were are thinkers and we think about ways to do things, but we don't do them.

The faith vs. works argument has no place here, because going to church and having theological discussions is neither. Most of the arguments and debates we have in church are really just ways to avoid doing the things God calls us to do. And it makes sense, because those things are scary. We talk about feeding Jesus, clothing Jesus, visiting him in prison, but when was the last time you helped the least of these?

Sunday morning, as we sit and prepare our minds for worship, let's also prepare our feet. Tighten up your laces, and answer God's call. Stop talking, start praying. And while your praying, move your feet.



* I believe wholeheartedly that praying is doing. By "doing", I want to emphasize the physical actions we do in order to help others.