I write this on the day that students, teachers, administrators, and staff return to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida two weeks after the shooting deaths of 14 students, a Geography teacher, Athletic Director, and Assistant Football Coach.
In the grief, funerals and memorial services, political activism of high school students, and heartache has come a criticism of people offering their “thoughts and prayers.” Some people have sent checks worth “thoughts and prayers” to politicians. As I understand the criticism from those to whom they are offered, “thoughts and prayers” are meaningless responses empty of empathy that represent a step away from the pain and anguish of the people most affected by the violence.
As I shared in my February 18 sermon, “Thoughts and prayers” are rightly ridiculed as shallow and meaningless when they are out of sync with meaningful actions and commitments to justice and safety. For me, it raises the question,
Are “thoughts and prayers” a way in or out? Are they a way IN to the pain and injustice of the world that Jesus shares with us or are they a way OUT of responsibility for creating and contributing to a world of justice, peace, and love.
In responding to the question, I appreciate the wisdom of Scripture, the experience of the early Church, and the testimony of people whose lives have been changed.
And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you (Philippians 4:8-9).
Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God – what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:2).
One day Jesus rebuked an evil spirit that had made a boy unable to hear and speak. Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, “Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?” Jesus replied, “This kind can be cast out only by prayer” (Mark 9:25-29).
In The Patient Ferment of the Early Church, Alan Kreider writes:
Prayer enabled them not only to cope with the dangers of day-to-day living but also to do joyfully the risky things that enabled the church to grow – to travel to new places, to touch plague victims, to see enemies as potential brothers…According to Adalbert Hamman, Christian prayer was “existential prayer.” It was gutsy, practical, passionate and immediate. It grew out of the struggles and concerns of the people who prayed, many of whom had little control over their lives. If at times it was noisy, that was unsurprising (my emphasis, pp. 204,207).
Each Sunday in worship we receive prayer requests and answered prayers. Our Prayer Chain receives requests during the week. As a follow up to a recent worship prayer request, I learned of this testimony from the person we lifted up in prayer:
It is hard to believe that I arrived here Monday night close to death and in the space of just over 48 hours have been restored to normalcy in heart and lung function…I will tell the story of the many exceptional professionals who delivered an outstanding level of personal service to me here in more detail later. Suffice to say it is humbling to be the recipient of so many talents and skills…If you question the power of prayer and positive energy intervening in circumstances we feel are out of control, I will gladly be the first to set you straight (my emphasis).
I feel the weight of the criticism of those who offer “thoughts and prayers” as a way to stay OUT of the pain and responsibility of engaging with the world God loves. I also recognize the call to truly embody our “thoughts and prayers” and believe that the Church can be a witness to the God who suffers with us and the Christ who shows us a way IN to God’s love for people who hurt and need help.