Thread by @1goodtern

I feel it's important to comment on this whole 'thoughts and prayers' thing.

Prayers without action are lifeless and dead.

One of the writers of the Bible puts it this way:

"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don’t show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone?"

"Suppose you see a brother or sister who has no food or clothing,  and you say, “Good-bye and have a good day; stay warm and eat well”—but then you don’t give that person any food or clothing. What good does that do?"

"So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless."

(That's from the letter written by James to the church)

This is something people understand naturally - you don't have to have a faith to get it.

In fact, I think people with or without a faith need to be *manipulated* into thinking that 'thoughts and prayers' on their own are enough.

The problem becomes especially acute in our modern society where it seems so hard for an ordinary individual to influence the huge stream of personal and national and international events.

Sometimes it feels like there's nothing we can do to make a difference.

So we turn to that concept of prayer.

Invoking something bigger than ourselves.

We want the cry of our hearts to matter.

So we talk about thoughts and prayers because we've lost connection with how to change the world.

But then the manipulators exploit that impotence and they exploit the sentiments and they exploit the desperation.

And they defraud the cry of the hearts of a billion souls crying out.

Because I think that prayer should not be an empty gesture into the ether.

I think prayer should be an opportunity to listen for an answer.

Prayer should be a spur to action.

A spur, always, to loving action.
To kindness.
To wisdom.
To compassion.
To goodness.

To change.

Because faith without deeds is dead.