But the president’s statements, separated by fewer than 100 hours, suggest two very different perspectives on prayer. Washington is the inverse of dog years, and four days in political time corresponds to ages elsewhere. Tweeted thoughts and prayers are not enough.” Yet four days later, Biden issued a statement on a shooting in Allen, Texas, saying, “Republican members of Congress cannot continue to meet this epidemic with a shrug. There is nothing more American than believing in the endless possibilities of what we can do when we do it together.” He went on: “The belief that prayer can move mountains is, at its core, a belief in making the impossible possible.
“On this National Day of Prayer, we recognize the profound power of prayer, grounded in deep humility and hope,” President Joe Biden proclaimed on May 3. | Elías Valverde II, The Dallas Morning News via Associated Press We can all promise "thoughts and prayers and.".People hold hands as they pray at a memorial for victims of the Allen Premium Outlets mass shooting, Tuesday, May 9, 2023, in Allen, Texas. But we can also act, in our own small ways, to affect positive change in our communities and our nation. We can believe in the power of positive thoughts. Then follow through.Īnd while we're at it, let's all of us resolve to follow suit. Make a commitment to do something else - anything else - in addition to your thinking and praying. Next time you offer "thoughts and prayers," also tell us what action you, specifically, will take to keep this from happening again. So here's a challenge to every politician who takes to social media in the wake of a national tragedy. Maybe he helped change the world with his music, but he's not going to change a thing with his peace signs.īut when thoughts and prayers are all we get from our leaders and legislators - people who can accomplish much more than Ringo - that's not just ineffective, it's utterly offensive. When ex-Beatle Ringo Starr gives the peace sign with both hands and proclaims, "Peace and love" - as if he's telling the world something unique - we can smile and dismiss him. More cogently, this is one of the definitions of "thoughts and prayers" listed on : "A useless phrase uttered in times of sorrow or tragedies." And to #ThoughtsAndPrayers critics, the repetition of mass shootings exists because no one is doing much else besides offering thoughts and prayers." Yet we keep hearing those three words followed by nothing else.Īs CNN's AJ Willingham wrote in a story last year, "The repetition of 'thoughts and prayers' is a product of the repetition of mass shootings. They need to be accompanied by - and not be a replacement for - real action. Thoughts and prayers for a better tomorrow that don't lead to actions by the men and women with the power to speak, vote and make a difference are useless.
It's much more likely that God's role in fixing this problem would be to embolden and inspire our legislators, work through them and others to generate solutions, and then shepherd them safely through our political system. to swoop in at the last second and drop a safe on those who would do us harm. It's a good thing if our lawmakers are thinking about the victims of gun violence and the knowledge that people are praying for them can be a source of comfort and strength to victims and families who believe in God.īut even they would acknowledge that it's not God's M.O. Bereft survivors of tragedy are reduced to looking for explanations and solutions, and hoping what they just experienced never happens to someone else. In the case of a mass shooting or other life-altering tragedy, proclaiming this empty slogan, one could argue, accomplishes precisely the opposite of its intentions.įor those in the midst of grappling with the horrific and unexpected death of a loved one, hearing those words - or worse, reading them on Twitter or Facebook - might instead be infuriating. It is time we declare a moratorium for politicians on "thoughts and prayers" unless there's substantive action coming with them.
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