Thoughts and Prayers

Like the steady ticking of a clock, another school tragedy has occurred. Wednesday, February 14, the day of love, a 19 year-old former student acted on his impulse to shoot up his former school. This day, seventeen lives were taken.

We used to offer our condolences. It was a stock phrase and remains so, yet its utterance is understood: I don't know the words to say, but we know what this means, and I can say it to keep my emotions checked so I don't break down in utter despair and sob my way through the hours of awfulness while I process how horrible this is.

My condolences to the families of the victims, the other students and adults traumatized by the event.

However, the usual response of media, politicians, and others is to say, "My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends."

Let the social media nastiness begin.

And it has.

Therefore, let us dissect this carefully.

First, the thoughts. People caught in a camera used to offer their prayers, but then took second thought that this may offend atheists and those of other faiths. They added thoughts so those who don't want prayers would not object.

People calling out the 'thoughts and prayers' on the internet are correct about this. Thoughts do nothing to address underlying causes and to devise solutions that effectively work to prevent a tragedy from happening again.

But the prayers? That takes a deeper dive.

It depends upon your theology. If you have a superficial belief and give token obeisance to the prevailing Christianity, then your prayers (if you really offer them) are no better than offering a formal expression of sympathy that does nothing for anyone except you.

If you don't think a Creator God is still actively involved in the world, stop telling people you will pray for them and say it better: I'm sorry, My condolences, This isn't fair.

But there remains in this world people of faith, people who know that the God who created the world has a very real interest in its well-being. This is not the time to discuss free will. When death strikes without warning and in intensity, it is never the time to discuss free will.

It is time to remember that for whatever reason God allows evil to happen, this is the same God who joined himself to human flesh and was willing to die for humanity.

That is what Christianity means. No other faith offers that.

If you don't believe that God died 17 times Wednesday afternoon, February 14, 2018, you don't understand Christianity and you should not judge it. (But by all means, judge the fake versions; God does.)

That God is so involved in human affairs, so passionately in sympathy with human suffering, that prayers will cause God to act.

When true people of faith say they will offer prayers, that is what they mean. They will pester and bug and bother God (not that God needs it, and please forgive the awkward phrasing as I'm trying to avoid the pronoun issue) because they know God cares and will act.

Isn't that what our young people are demanding? Make them safe; enact reasonable and intelligent gun-control laws.

God works through human agency. God will find the right people. Keep praying.

My prayers are with you and for you.