Reaching for the Sky

It's baseball season now and as well know, very often when players hit homeruns they point to the sky referencing God. Is this an honor? Is it disrespectful? Should people cross themselves before they bat? Is it okay to pray for something as objective as a game? Is it different than thanking God for your talents and abilities?

In Luke 18: 9-14 the man looked down to pray to God as a sign of being humble and honoring God to the utmost respect. The action of pointing to the sky, as a batter rounds the bases, celebrating the homerun they hit as the other team sulks at the damage done is not necessarily bad. It is all about what they are pointing to and even more so why. If one is rounding the bases looking up pointing to the sky to do it as an unsportsmanlike gesture it is received as a gesture of disgrace to God. God's goal is not to show lust.

However, done in the honor of God and for the Greater Glory of God is what it  should be about, doing it out of respect and appreciation of God. In hand, by doing so it should not be done to simply appear like a man of God. As a result, part of this appreciation is thanking God, being aware of where his God given talents comes from. So in doing this, realizing the source of their prosperity and opportunity, they honor God.

Therefore, the act of pointing or crossing yourself is not bad; in fact, it is good as long as it is in and for the Greater Glory of God. It shows how God is everywhere and in everything gracing the world with his grace giving mankind the opportunities they receive. Our talents and abilities come from God; as a result, the least we can do is honor and try and aid God in his message.