December 6th, 2015

let's talk about thoughts and prayers. Personally, I think they're great. I want your thoughts and prayers. Just today someone told me they'd be thinking about me and praying for me. Cool! One of the ways we've made it through this past year is by the prayers, thoughts, and considerate deeds of others. Most people really aren't in a position to do much more than think of us and pray for us, and that already is more than I would ask of anyone. So there's nothing at all wrong with offering solidarity, thoughts, prayers, good vibes, or whatever other intangibles one wants to direct at another, whatever their situation. And I don't think anyone is making the argument that people shouldn't think of or pray for unfortunate circumstances, though it seems plenty of others believe this. The problem arises when thoughts and prayers are all people offer. But that's not quite right either. More specifically, the trouble comes when people who are in a position to offer more give only thoughts and prayers.

let me explain what I mean by this. This last spring, I didn't want you (unless you're reading this, Doctors Heaton and LaQuaglia) to do my surgeries. I did want you to remember that I was having surgery, and pray for it to go well. That's because you (probably) are not a surgeon. You aren't in a position to do more than think of and pray for me. But if my surgeons had said "we're thinking of you and praying for you," and then decided that was enough, and not to even try surgery, I would have been upset, and justifiably so. They at least should try something, right? There may not be a huge chance that the surgeries would be successful, and as I'm writing this we really don't know if there is any cancer left in me or not. Time will tell. We're thinking and praying for the best. But at least my surgeons tried in earnest to solve the problem, to use their talents, intellect, training, and station in life to keep cancer from killing me.

And that's the issue here in the U.S. regarding gun-related deaths. Too many people in places of political power who have the ability to do something, anything, to work towards decreasing the number of people killed every year are doing nothing, while offering thoughts and prayers as if that will solve it. It saddens me that nothing is being done in this area. I like to think everyone should be able to agree that we have too many gun-related deaths in this country, and we should do something about it. Between shootings and accidents, way too many lives are lost because of guns. It shouldn't be a radical sentiment to want to work towards solutions that prevent these unnecessary killings.

I really don't care what you think the right course of action is, and honestly I'm not here to argue one way or another about gun control, background checks, or any of that. The point I want to make is that we ought to hold a more honest, open-minded, and constructive discussion about what we can do. We need to acknowledge as a country that we have a serious problem, on a scale far greater than that in similar nations around the world. There must be something we can come up with, agree upon, or at least compromise on that can reduce the number of people killed by guns every year.

Too many people die of cancer too. If the powers that be only offered us their thoughts, prayers, and wishes for good health, there would be public outcry, and rightfully so. Instead, cancer research happens through a combination of funding from the government, individual donors, nonprofits, and pharmaceutical companies alike. Numerous hospitals, societies, organizations, companies, and associations are working on improving treatment options. Something is at least being done about cancer. It's high time we do something about gun-related deaths too.

Thoughts and prayers are fine, but not if that's all we get from people who should be doing more. After all, Jesus didn't say "I was naked and you thought about how cold that would be, and prayed that I would find clothes. I was hungry and you thought about how glad you were your own stomach was full, and prayed I'd find some food from that nearby dumpster. I was in jail and you thought about how hard it must be in prison, felt bad for me, and prayed I'd have visitors." It's pretty obvious to me that our politicians, at least those who profess to follow Jesus, need to do more than think and pray about gun violence. The truly uncomfortable part of this for me is that really, all of us can probably do more than think of and pray for someone in some situation somewhere. We need to be open to the ways we can and should help others. It might not be popular or easy to think like that, but it's what following Jesus requires. And it's something I'm sure I fail at every single day.