Concerning Thoughts and Prayers

I really, truly hate that the subject of ‘thoughts and prayers’ gains relevance so frequently. Those words have become part of a bleak ritual in America, a liturgical cycle of sorts. Monthly or weekly another batch of lives are taken by largely-preventable instances of gun violence, and monthly or weekly we hold vigils by candlelight, use hashtags of yet another town’s name followed by the word ‘strong,’ and pause for a moment of silence at sporting events. And then we move on, until the next round.

Always in this ritual thoughts and prayers are offered to the survivors, those who must forever live haunted by memories of horrific violence and loved ones senselessly lost. And every time, thoughts and prayers are offered as a rote response unaccompanied by any meaningful actions. It reminds me of James 2:16 and it breaks my heart.

It reminds me of my own cancer as well. My cancer won’t disappear because people are mindful of my disease. My tumors won’t shrink with prayer alone, should I choose to forgo treatment. Please do remember me and pray for me, but also understand that I have needed every kind of treatment available to keep my disease minimized, including treatments still being tested. Understand that I’d much rather be treated by an atheist willing to try some surgery or new drug than a Christian who offers prayer as the only course of treatment. And if you’re in a position to influence our laws and regulations, think and pray about the actions you can take to reduce gun violence. Think and pray about what you might do for those who will otherwise be victims of tomorrow’s shooting.