Most Americans seem to be a bit confused, and some even embarrassed, when they see prayers in public. As for our family, we always pray before meals, a life-long habit in private and in public, to thank the Lord for all His blessings. I don’t feel embarrassed at all; and I live in a free country, which professes freedom of faith choices. And, contrary to what some might think, I have noticed that there are still a number of occasions where public prayer seems to be well received.

很多美国人看起来会有一些困惑，有些人甚至感到尴尬，当他们看到在公众场合的祷告。至于我们家，我们一直在饭前祷告，一个在私下或公众的终身的习惯，来感谢上帝的祝福。我一点都不觉得尴尬；我生活在一个自由的国度，在这里人们有自由选择信仰。而且，与一些人可能想的相反，我曾经注意到在一些场合公众的祷告看起来很被接受。

On US national TV, the excellent drama series Blue Bloods routinely shows the New York police family at the center of the story having dinner around the table. Dinner is always preceded by the family praying together (“saying grace”), initiated by the family head, the Police Commissioner of New York City. And the story often even revolves around their common faith and faith struggles, depicted quite realistically.

在美国全国性的电视频道，很棒的连续剧蓝血人例行公事地展示故事中的主角纽约警察家庭在餐桌旁一起吃晚餐。晚餐之前一定会有家人一起祷告（“做饭前祷告”），有族长带头，纽约市的警长。故事也经常围绕着他们的共同的信仰和挣扎，刻画得很现实。

At the Children’s Hospital in Cincinnati, a top hospital in the USA, I was initially surprised that major medical staff business meetings began with a traditional prayer from the chaplain, the pastor of the Hospital. And then I discovered that there were seven Hospital chaplains. In cases of spiritual needs for families, it was common to call on chaplains to come and pray with the family.

在辛辛那提儿童医院，美国最好的医院之一，我一开始很惊讶医院重要的业务会议开始前会由医院的牧师做个祷告。然后我发现医院有七个牧师。当家庭有精神上需要时，叫一个牧师来和家人一起祷告是很平常的事。

Few actually know that our hospital is technically an Episcopal hospital, and has a strong Episcopal history and tradition. And we often forget that in US history, many or even most hospitals were begun by Christian churches, so we really should not be surprised when faith and prayer come up in hospitals. But we are surprised, since most people have somehow repressed that piece of information.

很少有人知道我们医院实际上是一个英国圣公会医院，而且有很重的 英国圣公会历史和传统。我们经常忘记在美国历史上，很多甚至大多数的医院是由基督教教会建立的，所以我们真地不应该在信仰和祷告在医院出现时感到惊讶。但是我们感到惊讶，因为大多数人不知何故地压制这段历史。

At our Children’s Hospital there is a beautiful national award-winning chapel for prayers, which staff and families can use. Families can also sign in publicly when they use it, so we know that the facility is quite effectively used. Furthermore, the chapel is specifically set up for three major religions, Christian, Islamic, and Jewish, all treated respectfully.

在我们儿童医院有一个很棒的得过国家奖的供员工和病人家属祷告的小教堂。家属可以在登记本上署名，所以我们知道这个场所被非常有效地使用。更进一步说，教堂是特别地为三个主要宗教，基督教，穆斯林，和犹太教预备，它们都被尊重。

This is quite a surprise to visitors from overseas, especially from so-called atheistic countries, to see that accommodation is seriously made for spiritual and faith issues. During my active years at the hospital, I particularly liked to bring foreign visitors to the chapel, where they would take many pictures of this “novelty”. One of the visiting hospital administrators from an atheistic background country even suggested that they could build a similar chapel or something like that back home!

这对于来自海外的，特别是从号称的无神国度的访问学者，看到精神和信仰需要的满足被如此重视，是一个很惊奇的事。在我早年在医院行医时，我特别喜欢带外国参观者去这个教堂，在那里他们会照很多记录“新鲜的东西”的照片。从一个无神国度来的访问医院管理者甚至考虑他们可能在本土建一个类似的小教堂！

In reality, most US hospitals retain the tradition of chapels for personal prayers and small religious services. When people visit hospitals, most just take it for granted to expect strong traditions of compassionate and excellent health care, but they might forget that these also clearly derive from their strong Christian roots and values. These values, together with prayers for the sick, were not only the founding principles of US hospitals, even the first hospitals in most countries in the world were set up initially by Christian groups. In turn they were clearly inspired by the extensive eye-witness records of Jesus the compassionate and excellent Healer thousands of years earlier.

现实中，大多数的美国医院保留着提供为病人祷告和小型宗教服务的教堂的 传统。当人们住院時，大多数只是想当然地期待有关爱的和出色的医疗服务的强烈的传统，但是他们可能忘记了这些信仰是明明白白地从他们的基督教根基和价值观而来。这些价值，和为病患的祷告，不仅仅是美国医院的建院原则，甚至世界上大多数国家的第一家医院开始时都是由基督信仰组织建立的。结果就是这些医院明显地被目击者记载的耶稣，几千年前的富有同情心的和出色的治疗师，的事迹所激励。

Our Children’s Hospital is considered one of the top two or three children’s hospitals in the country, especially for cutting-edge research. We host Grand Rounds weekly, a clinical meeting where most faculty physicians and trainees attend as part of the training program of physicians from all over the world, and which is included on the hospital’s website. I remember well a Grand Rounds formal presentation on the role of prayer and faith in the lives of patients. It was practical and informative, a good reminder of the holistic approach, including spirituality that we should have in best medical and health care.

我们儿童医院被公认为美国数一数二的儿童医院，特别突出的是前沿研究。我们每周的病例总结报告，一个有大多数临床教学医生和来自世界各地的培训者参加的临床会议，包括在医院的网站上。我清楚地记得其中一个正式报告是关于祷告和信仰在病人生命中的作用。那个报告很实用，有很大的信息量，一个很好的提醒注重整体医疗，包括我们应该在最好的医疗中对灵性的护理。

The Western modern hesitation regarding public prayers is actually in stark contrast to most other countries, in which prayer is usually practiced openly by common people and government. In Islamic countries, for example, the call to prayers to God is heard publicly and loudly five times a day. In addition to personal prayers before and after meals!

在西方现代医学中对公众的祷告的顾忌实际上和大多数国家形成鲜明的对比，祷告通常由普通人和政府来进行。在穆斯林国家，例如，号召大家向上帝祷告的提醒对公众一天发出五次。这些是在个人饭前和饭后祷告之外。

When the call to prayers is made, commonly people stop their cars right in the middle of the road, to come out of their cars and pray on a prayer mat that they have been carrying. All traffic stops, and the whole city can grind to a halt. And at medical conferences I have attended in Islamic countries, or countries with a significant Islamic population, specific break times are clearly set aside by the organizers, for Islamic prayers of the attendees.

当祷告的提醒来临时，通常人们会把车停在路中间，走出车外在他们随身携带的毯子上祷告。所有的车辆都止息了，整个城市停顿了。在穆斯林国家里举行的我参加过的医学会议，或者在有很多穆斯林居民的国家里，特别的休息时间会被组织者清楚地预留出来，供穆斯林与会者祷告。

My wife and I were on a tour bus in Germany. While the bus was on an expressway, an Islamic Pakistani man on the bus stood up and requested the driver to stop. The bus driver asked why, and the man explained that this was the time of prayer, and it was necessary to stop the bus. The driver stopped the bus by the side of the expressway, the gentleman rolled out his prayer rug, laid it by the side of the bus, and completed his prayers. He then returned, with no fuss, to a bus full of tourists who seemed impressed I think by his show of faith.

我太太和我在德国乘旅行公车的时候，当公车在高速路上时，一位巴基斯坦穆斯林弟兄站了起来要求司机停车。司机问为什么，这位弟兄解释说祷告的时间到了，有必要停车。司机就在高速路的路肩停下来，那位弟兄拿出了他的祷告毯，铺在公车的旁边，完成了他的祷告。他返回到公车上的时候，像什么事都没发生一样，我想整车的游客都被他表现出来的信仰打动。

I have been pleasantly surprised by responses from Islamic friends when I asked at meals whether we could pray together. It has always been a clear yes. For Jewish friends, Catholics, Protestants, basically for anyone that I have asked. Even Communist Party leaders in China when we sat down for meals on a one to one basis. Maybe the problem about awkwardness with public prayers in the USA is that many people are skeptical and suspect that US believers don’t seem serious about their faith. It’s plausible that people might actually respect believers when we seriously follow our faith publicly.

我曾经很欣喜地发现我的穆斯林朋友当我问在聚餐的时候能否一起祷告时全都同意。不管是犹太人，天主教徒，新教徒，基本上任何我问过的人 大家都同意。甚至中国的共产党领导在我们一对一吃饭的时候。也许在美国公众场合祷告的尴尬之处是很多人持怀疑态度并猜测美国的信徒看起来对他们的信仰不太认真。其实很可能人们会在我们严肃地公开地追随我们信仰时更尊重我们。

One day a scholar from China who had joined me numerous times in public prayers, especially before meals, introduced me to an Islamic doctor from the Middle East. She felt we were both serious about faith issues and should get together. Indeed, the Islamic doctor and I had a great chat, including about the role of public prayers. After the chat, he confided to the China scholar that I was likely a “secret believer” in Islam! The word “Islam” does mean submission to God, of course. And one indicator of submission is indeed public prayers.

有一天一位参加过我多次在公众祷告的从中国来的学者，特别在聚餐之前，将我介绍给一位从中东来的穆斯林医生。她认为我们两个都对信仰很严肃所以应该认识。确实，穆斯林医生和我相谈甚欢，包括在公众场合祷告的角色。结束谈话之后，他对中国学者承认我像是一个在伊斯兰教里的“私下的信徒”！“伊斯兰”这个词当然是指顺服上帝 。其中一个的顺服就恰恰是公众场合的祷告。

Over the years I have attended many banquets in China. Often the gathering included several tables of scholars who had been to Cincinnati. I have been impressed that some doctor might stand up at the beginning of the evening before the dinner, and officially request that “Uncle Reggie, would you like to give the Grace?”

我后来在中国参加了很多的宴会。通常这些聚会有几桌来过辛辛那提的学者们。让我非常印象深刻的是一些医生在晚宴开始之前会站起来，正式地要求“Uncle Reggie ，你可以带我们祷告吗？”

This at first was a great surprise to me, especially when the president, or other leaders of the hospital were attending. I imagined that, in deference to Uncle Reggie, they felt that they should ask for my blessing upon the dinner. After all, they had witnessed it often in Cincinnati. This blessing happened particularly if I was the guest of honor. It shouldn’t hurt to be blessed by the official guest, I suppose. Actually, it all seemed “quite natural”, but since I could not peek, I could only imagine all the leaders bowing their heads at Grace!

这个请求一开始让我很惊讶，特别是当院长，或是其他医院领导参加的时候。我猜是，因着顺从Uncle Reggie 他们感到他们应该在饭前寻求我的祝福。毕竟，他们在辛辛那提已经见证了很多次。这个祝福特别是在我作为一位特邀嘉宾的时候会发生。我假设，被官方嘉宾祝福没有坏处吧。确实，一切都看起来“很正常”，但是因为我不能偷看，我只能想象领导们在祷告时有低头！

It turns out that, in reality, we can literally pray at all kinds of times. It really depends on how seriously we take the issue, since the Lord is always available! For example, someone might mention a problem to me to remember in prayers, and I might normally say, “I’ll remember to pray about that.” But when I go home, I might forget, which is pretty sad. So the best thing I have discovered I could do is to stop right then and there, and say, “Can we pray about it now?”

原来，现实中，我们可以在任何时候祷告。祷告真地受我们对待这件事情的态度左右，因为上帝无时不在！譬如，有人可能请我在祷告中代祷的一件事，我可能说，“我会记得为这件事祷告。”可是当我回家时，我可能会忘记，那很烂。所以我发现的最好的办法就是当场停下所做的事情，说，“我们可以现在为此而祷告吗？”

It could be in the middle of the street, at the door of the church, in the parking lot, or somewhere we might not normally think of stopping and praying, but actually why not? When I do that, of course I have no problem about later forgetting to pray on this request.

祷告可以在路中间，在教堂门口，在停车场，或者一些我们通常不会想到停下来祷告，但是为什么不呢？当我这样做的时候，当然我就不会担心后来忘记这个祷告请求。

I would be communicating clearly that I’m serious, and we get to pray to God together directly and immediately. Which also becomes a great testimony and encouragement to the person being prayed for, myself, and probably others who might witness this. Bring back the power, efficiency and immediacy of prayer!

我会清楚地表明我是当真的，然后我们就一起向上帝祷告。这个行动就成为一个对被祷告的人，我自己，和其他看到的人做了个很好的见证和给予鼓励。就把祷告的力量，果效和紧迫性带回来了！

“May your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven,” is part of the most wonderful prayer in the world, and by our prayers, we help bring Heaven right down to earth, right away. A prayer that 2 billion people in the world should know by heart, in any language.

“愿你的旨意行在地上如同行在天上，”是世界上最美好的祷告，借着我们的祷告，我们帮忙马上将天堂带到地上。这个祷告词是世界上20亿人不管用任何语言应该牢记在心的。