high five Jesus

Growing up in Brooklyn, I was very familiar with the little cases that adorned the door frames of some apartment doors. The mezuzah is a scroll inscribed with verses from Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21. It starts with the phrase "Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God, the Lord is One." I remember seeing my Jewish friends and neighbors kiss the case with their fingers as they walked into or out of their apartments. It's a reminder to fulfill the Lord's commandments.

I bring this up because recently, while in Ecuador, Wendy and I bought a small wooden cross that we affixed next to our apartment door. The thought was that it would remind us about God's presence and blessings every time we left the apartment and returned. It's our version of the mezuzah in a way.

Living in New York City I find it is common to see the acknowledgment of a God in some way shape or form: Yarmulkes, hijabs, crosses on a chain, kissing the mezuzah, making the sign of the cross, and occassionally a Jesus tatoo on someone's neck. God is somehow everywhere in NYC. But still, I was surprised last night when I saw someone praying before their meal at a bar.

Very rarely you'll see someone bow their heads at a restaurant here, but I don't think I've ever seen it happen at a bar. I met up with a group of folks celebrating a birthday. They'd been out doing a bar crawl since 12 noon. A married couple got hungry at around midnight, got food, and prayed. With an "Amen" and an "I love you" they commenced their meal. It was a beautiful sight. Especially considering the time and place: midnight, a NYC bar, loud, and smokey. Yet still, there was time for God.

In today's Gospel reading, Peter is commanded by Jesus to walk on water towards Him. Peter does, but soon begins to sink and calls out, "Lord, save me!" You hear this a lot, but I wonder how often God hears prayers of "save me" versus prayers of thanksgiving. What would the ratio be?

I know I fall into the "save me" boat often. It's part of the reason we set up the cross by our door. By the way, we set it a little high, over our heads actually. So when we leave the apartment it actually looks like we're giving Jesus a high five. It's like high fiving Jesus for giving you another day in the morning, and giving Him a high five in the evening for bringing you home safely. It's a small step in an action plan to change our ratio.