Tomyamaguchi’s Weblog

Prayers Are Not Enough

On May 6, nine people died and seven more injured in a shooting at an outlet mall in Allen, Texas. The shooter, who was among the nine who died, was a white supremacist who had tattooed his body with Nazi symbols. Afterward, Congressman Reid Self, who represents that area, was asked if thoughts and prayers are inadequate responses to the current epidemic of gun violence. Representative Reid responded that anyone who says prayers are not enough does not believe in an “almighty god who is absolutely in control of our lives.” 

Sorry, Representative Self, as a person of faith, I am with those who say prayers are not enough. Though currently a practicing Quaker, I grew up in a Roman Catholic family. An important part of Catholic theology is the concept of free will. God provides us with the knowledge of good and evil. yet allows us the freedom to chose whether to do good or not. Catholics do not believe in a God “who is absolutely in control of our lives.” I suspect the Republican congressman thinks that anyone who does not accept his point of view on theological matters is not a truly religious person. In other words, a person that does not accept that prayers are enough has to be an atheist. I guess that makes Pope Francis an atheist.

No, prayers are not enough. Action needs to follow prayer. To whomever we pray, whether we say God, Goddess, Spirit, Creator, Higher Power, or other names that are as numerous as the faith traditions that have evolved on this Earth, prayer is only the first step. If we believe in a deity that gives humans free will, that we have the power to chose between good and evil, then to do nothing but pray is to dump the problem back in God’s lap. We forfeit our responsibility and end up doing nothing. When we do nothing in response to evil, we are complicit with that evil. In that sense, we have chosen evil over good.

In Quaker worship, we sit in silence, listening for guidance from the Spirit. We call it waiting worship. Some may think of waiting as a passive act. We sit and wait for someone or something, doing nothing in the meantime. I would rather imagine waiting as a very active practice. Imagine a waiter in a restaurant. This person is very busy taking orders, serving food, and attending on the needs of the customer. We call it waiting tables. When I think of waiting in worship, I think of the Donna Summer song, “She Works Hard for the Money.” In an interview, Summer identified the origin of the song from an experience she had a restaurant. She found the waitress that had been serving her taking a break in a hidden place away from the dining room. The woman was literally asleep, taking a nap from her exhausting work. She works hard for the money, indeed.

Waiting in silence, waiting in prayer is the first action. The next part is what Quakers call leadings. A leading guides us into action. What does God require of me? I ask. Leadings are nothing without followup action. 

That action may take many forms. I may commit to lifestyle changes or lobbying my government on a change of law or policy. I may take direct action, including non violent civil disobedience, to laws and policies that my leading tells me are wrong.

This I know. This work is mine, not God’s. God did not make the guns that are being used to kill innocent people in schools, shopping centers, business offices, or even places of worship. God did not burn the fossil fuels that emit carbon dioxide into the atmosphere to fuel global climate change. Human beings are doing that. Human beings are responsible for changing that. As a human being, I need to take my part of that responsibility.

I may not be successful in my actions. A wise person has advised us that God does not call us to be successful. God call us to be faithful. In being faithful, I pray for guidance in my leading. Yes, I will provide comfort and support for those who suffer and are grieving. However, if I really cared, I would act to prevent others from experiencing the same suffering. No one else’s child should need to go to school fearing that she might not return home alive. No parent should worry about losing a child to gun violence.

No, Congressman Self, prayers are not enough. The weapons of war do not belong in our communities. People who are a danger to themselves or others must not be allowed to easily get their hands on killing machines. We need effective background checks and “red flag” laws. As a member of Congress, you have the power to do something. Otherwise, your prayers are worthless. 

May 28, 2023 Posted by tomyamaguchi | Uncategorized | Leave a comment