“Prayer and action can never be seen as contradictory or mutually exclusive.”
Henri Nouwen
“When are we going to do something? I’m so tired of getting up here and offering condolences to the devastated families that are out there. I’m tired of the moments of silence. Enough!”
NBA Coach Steve Kerr on mass shootings
“Thoughts and prayers. It’s the stock phrase of tragedies, like ‘condolences’ for a death, ‘congratulations’ for a wedding, and either one (depending) for a divorce.”
TheWeek.com
The responses to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas are depressingly predictable.
We will fly our flags at half-mast; there will be moments of silence; politicians will fail to take any meaningful action and then we will move on to the next shooting. This is the very definition of insanity: doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.
It has become customary in the wake of mass shootings to offer our “thoughts and prayers” to the victims and their families. I’ve begun to wonder: Just what exactly are we praying for? Are we praying for God to comfort the families of the victims? Are we praying for God to bring healing for the survivors? Those are worthy prayers, but they are not enough, not by a damn sight.
Don’t get me wrong, I believe in prayer. I believe that prayer is powerful. But, I also believe that prayer is intended to lead us to take action. As Henri Nouwen wrote:
“If prayer leads us into deeper unity with the compassionate Christ, it will always give rise to concrete acts of service.”
So, it is not enough to tell someone who’s starving “I’ll pray for you” without giving them something to eat. You can’t eat words. In the same way it is not enough to tell someone who has just lost a child to gun violence “I’ll pray for you” without taking action to make sure that it does not happen again.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer coined the term “cheap grace,” which he defined as “grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without the living, incarnate Jesus Christ.”
“Thoughts and prayers are “cheap compassion,” which I would define as prayers without action, prayers without cost. John Brownlow writes that the phrase thoughts and prayers is “the verbal equivalent of tossing a panhandler the smallest coin in your pocket.” Thoughts and prayers unaccompanied by action are meaningless.
Real prayer is costly. Real prayer takes us out of our comfort zone and into the world, to the hurting and the oppressed. We cannot do otherwise, because real prayer aligns our values with God’s. In conversation with God we come to recognize our solidarity with one another. When you engage in real prayer you are no longer content with the status quo.
The phrase thoughts and prayers protects the status quo. It changes nothing. We seem to think that offering our thoughts and prayers absolves us from doing anything further. But, not taking action becomes a sin of omission and makes us complicit in these violent acts. Inaction is a form of action. Inaction makes a statement about how little we really care.
Someone made the comment that the nation is in shock after this latest mass shooting. I disagree. The nation is not in shock; there have been too many of these shootings for us to be shocked anymore. Saddened yes, shocked no. We have come to treat each mass shooting like a bad dream that we hope will go away on its own.
If we were truly shocked, we would wake up and do something. There is no action we can take that will completely stop gun violence. But, we can decrease it. We just have to have enough faith to take the first step. We need to start moving. It is up to us. Politicians refuse to do anything because the gun lobby (a well-funded minority) holds them in its power. Change will have to be led by people of faith.
Until then, we will do what we always do and more innocent lives will be taken.
Divine Overtones 
Excellent writing. Now what we DO with the gun lobby? How can we stop a person who has no history of violence; no prior convictions; etc. from buying a gun? Is it the type of gun? Where does mental illness come into play with the gun lobby? I can see where both are very important issues to debate and make changes. What are your thoughts?
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One first step is to write your US Senators and your Congressman. Tell them how you feel about the gun situation in the US, let them k now how you will vote in their next election cycle.
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Tom, we wrote to Deb Fischer and Sasse. I received a response from Fischer on June 10. Nothing yet from Sasse. It is the second time we have written them regarding gun violence.
Dear Ingrid,
Thank you for contacting me about gun violence. I appreciate hearing from you.
In recent weeks, our Nation witnessed multiple horrific mass shootings. On May 14, 2022, 10 people tragically lost their lives and 3 people were wounded following a mass shooting at a Tops Friendly Markets store in Buffalo, New York. Shortly after, on May 24, 2022, a shooting took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where 19 students and 2 teachers tragically lost their lives, with many more injured. My deepest condolences go to the victims, their families, and their friends impacted by these appalling acts of violence. It is unimaginable what these communities are going through.
I share the concerns of many Nebraskans about these attacks. I believe that churches, schools, workplaces, and other public spaces should be safe settings for everyone. The focus shouldn’t be on politicizing these violent acts against innocent people. Like you, I wholeheartedly condemn these senseless acts of violence and believe we have a shared responsibility, as parents, grandparents, neighbors, and teachers, to set good examples for young people on how to treat others with love and respect.
In the wake of these tragic events, several of my Senate colleagues have been engaging in bipartisan discussions on potential legislative solutions to address future acts of violence. I continue to monitor these discussions and will review their proposal once released. I believe it is important that any solutions provide resources to address mental health and additional security measures for our Nation’s schools, without infringing on the constitutionally protected Second Amendment rights of law abiding Americans.
While we all share a responsibility to ensure the protection and safety of our communities and children, I believe local communities and states are best equipped to enact policies that fit their needs. You may be interested to know that in 2020, the Nebraska Unicameral considered LB 58, Adopt the Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. This legislation would have imposed a “red flag” law in Nebraska, which allows family and household members, education personnel, and law enforcement officers to seek a court order to prohibit an individual from purchasing or possessing firearms because they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. Ultimately, LB 58 failed to be debated by the entire Nebraska Legislature.
I am always ready to engage in civil discourse on issues affecting Nebraskans and our Nation. I remain committed to working with my colleagues in Congress, regardless of their political affiliations, to find the best solutions to the many challenges facing America.
Please be assured I will keep your comments in mind in the coming weeks. Again, thank you for reaching out to me. If you have additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me through my website: http://www.fischer.senate.gov.
Sincerely,
(Deb Fischer signature)
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Ingrid – thank you so much for sharing
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