July 28, 2001: Soul Searching column

Praying brings food for thought

By Bobby Ross Jr., Religion Editor

IN the three seconds since the waitress delivered my plate, I’ve drenched my brisket sandwich with barbecue sauce and taken a bite the size of Bill Gates’ bank account.

Just as I start to chew this mammoth hunk of beef, the guy beside me asks politely, “Shall we bless the food?”

“Um, sure,” I reply as I swallow hard and bow my head.

Now, I need somebody to perform the Heimlich maneuver.

Seriously, I respect people who pray before every meal, be it their morning cereal at home or the chow mein at the Chinese buffet. I’m just not one of them – at least not yet.

After a few embarrassing episodes like the one described above, I hired the cheapest psychoanalyst I could find – myself – to examine why I don’t pray before the kids rip open Happy Meals in a crowded McDonald’s.

After all, we take a moment and thank God before we eat at home. Why not when we’re out?

My standard answer: Jesus taught against praying “like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men.”

“I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full,” Jesus said in Matthew 6. “But when you pray, go into your room, close your door and pray to your Father, who is unseen.”

A minister friend of mine grew up in a small Texas town where praying in public was considered arrogant.

“If we prayed before we ate in restaurants, we prayed in the car,” he told me.

But we live in a different place and time. “In Oklahoma City, it seems everyone thinks it is fine to pray in public,” my friend said.

I asked several people from various denominations if they pray in restaurants. I offered blanket anonymity to protect the guilty. Most said they do.

However, a quasi-comedian I know wondered about those who gorge on chips, salsa and queso, then pray when the enchiladas arrive. “What are the effects of eating unblessed appetizers?” he asked.

As I contemplated this column, I found myself twisting my head while eating out, trying to see if I could catch anybody praying.

Sure enough, I did.

A family of three bowed over Mazzio’s pizza. Three young women did the same over Garfield’s salads.

In each case, these folks prayed quietly and did not draw attention. Neither the waiters nor the people at nearby tables seemed to notice. By all appearances, they prayed out of genuine gratitude.

I didn’t see Pharisees. I saw people whose faith encouraged me.

Maybe I need to rethink my position. At the least, I need to slow down and thank God for every meal, whether in my heart or out loud.

Religion Editor Bobby Ross Jr. can be reached by e-mail at rross@oklahoman.com or by phone at 475-3480.