Setting up shop in the mainstream

I attended a book signing by Dr. Anthony Alessi at the Otis Library on Saturday. It was wonderful. The only problem was that there were just a handful of people present to enjoy it. As Dr. Alessi talked about his book and the process of getting it published, I sat there thinking I wish more people could hear his story.

Of course the whole event was staged in an upper room away from the main flow of traffic. It was a nice room and a perfect stage for the show. But I kept thinking what did it matter if he was in a nice room if no one knew he was there. If I were in charge I would have had him set up in the lobby where everyone would literally bump into him.

A funny thought hit me later on that day. Sometimes we do the same thing with our faith. We compartmentalize it. We put it in one little corner of our life. Then we wonder why we don't have an effective witness for the Lord.

If you saw us on Sunday you might think we were "Super Christians." We do it all at the church. But we hold back and don't allow for any display of it on Monday through Saturday. We go with the flow. We never speak up when someone says something that offends us. We would rather blend in with the crowd than take center stage.

I think Dr. Alessi would have signed many more books if he had been in the lobby of the Library and you and I would would be a greater blessing for God if we take our faith and let it show in our every day walk.