The benefits of prayer are valuable to many spiritual individuals, but the self-expression and catharsis granted through prayer must not overshadow tangible action.
It is no doubt that the thoughts and prayers of many come from a place of genuine concern and emotional support for victims of devastating events like the Parkland shooting. For some, prayers may be their sole source of comfort. Praying for, and meditating on, the lives of any human is a humbling thing to do, but it will not stop violence from occurring.
For those of us who pray, the intent to create positive change might be there, but it is important to remember that emotion makes the strongest change when manifested through action.
To prioritize prayer over protest is to be blind to the victories that have been won through physical action and civil disobedience. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X were both deeply spiritual men, but, had neither of them spoke out and organized direct action, they would not have effectively created change.
King was a Christian pastor who believed in the power of prayer, but he knew that prayer alone would not bring liberation. Similarly, Malcolm X was a Muslim minister who had strongly held spiritual beliefs, yet he knew that his thoughts on the spiritual nature of racial justice would not be enough to change the world around him if not voiced through action.
In this way, the modern usage of “thoughts and prayers” can be deeply problematic because it can allow people to feel good about themselves by simply posting on Facebook instead of doing the hard work of fighting for justice.
Mahatma Gandhi directly addressed this problem when he said, “To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
Students who desire to help their causes can do so by participating in walkouts, protests and other forms of civil disobedience.
In a series of 687 protests worldwide, concerned citizens will march to demand safer schools and to address the lack of accountability faced by politicians. March For Our Lives is a worldwide protest occurring on Saturday, March 24, in Atlanta. The march will start at 11 a.m. at the Center for Civil and Human Rights.
Supporting activists and attending protests is imperative for causing change. For those in power, it is extremely easy to ignore the thoughts and prayers uttered by frustrated and scared students, but it is impossible to ignore the roar of millions of upset protesters demanding change.
The ability to create change through our voices and actions is a beautiful human right and one we must not take for granted. Creating a safer world for students is more than a right, it is a duty. For this reason, we must do more than think — we must act.
