The world was
horrified earlier this week by the nation’s deadliest mass shooting ever, in
which 59 people were killed and over 500 wounded by a shooter who rained
thousands of rounds down from his Las Vegas hotel room onto the defenseless
audience of an open-air country music festival.
As with all such
acts of mass murder or terrorism, social media teemed afterward with politicians,
celebrities, and “ordinary” folk worldwide sending out the all-too-familiar chorus
of “thoughts and prayers” to the victims. Many others dismissed such
condolences as an empty gesture, declaring angrily that “thoughts and prayers
are not enough,” that the government needs to take concrete actions to prevent
further such atrocities. Political commentator Kirsten Powers even wrote
in the Washington Post that “Politicians
have managed to make a once benign, if not comforting, phrase sound almost
profane.”
So, has this “once
benign” offer of thoughts and prayers become overdone? Are we burnt out on this
predictable, kneejerk response after every tragedy? Has sending thoughts and
prayers become just a way for people, especially public figures, to signal their
momentary concern and move on without having to actually do something?
Thoughts and
prayers aren’t about preventing the next atrocity. That’s what taking action is
for. They are about helping victims get through this atrocity. They are about the need we feel to reach out and
connect with each other – even with strangers – after some disaster and offer
comfort. They are about the human community coming together across boundaries
of every kind – national, racial, political – to overcome adversity.
Of course, there is
no reason one can’t both pray and
take action, such as donating blood for the victims of the Las Vegas shooting.
But sending thoughts and prayers is a means for those who either are too
distant or do not have the resources to help in any other way to at least express
their heartfelt condolences. That’s not concrete action but it’s meaningful
nonetheless, both for the frustrated sender who genuinely feels compelled to do
something, and for the victims who welcome
the show of love and support and goodwill. Thoughts and prayers after the fact
won’t erase the tragedy, but nothing can. Instead, thoughts and prayers are, or
aim to be, a measure of solace and encouragement, however slight.
The key word,
though, is “genuinely.” Those thoughts and prayers must at a minimum be sincere
or they are worse than useless – they are offensive. Simply tweeting “Sending
thoughts and prayers #LasVegas” to display how sensitive and caring you are, then
clicking on a cat video without giving Las Vegas another thought is hackneyed
dishonesty.
For those who
believe in the power of prayer to effect earthly change, it is no small comfort
to believe that thousands, or tens or hundreds of thousands, are keeping you in
their prayers to help you get through this. Even for those who identify as
“spiritual but not religious” and don’t believe in prayer, yet still believe in
the vague mysticism of “good vibes,” that kind of loving consideration is
uplifting.
Obviously, if one does
not believe in the efficacy of prayer,
then it’s easy to reject “thoughts and prayers” as pointless superstition –
although even if I weren’t a
believer, I wouldn’t be offended by a believer praying for me. What can it
hurt? At least it indicates that the person cares. What good is cynicism or
unbelief, ever? As a victim of some terrible misfortune, I would rather know
that friends and strangers were honestly offering up my need in prayer than doing
nothing. “I am wishing you the best” or “I am praying for you” engenders more
healing hope and optimism than “I’m sorry this happened to you.”
When the next tragedy
strikes and the thoughts and prayers start flowing, don’t dismiss them. Yes,
some of it may be empty virtue-signaling, but more likely most are signaling
that we’re all in this together, and they are doing what they can to help.
From Acculturated, 10/6/17
