Are thoughts and prayers enough? Following global tragedies, in particular gun violence, moralizers the world over have relied upon the powers of positive thought, often times at the expense of taking any meaningful action.
As one who has tried to be a follower of Christ over the years, I can think of no better moral teacher for someone who is struggling with this question. And perhaps surprisingly, there is a great deal that Christ has to teach us about it.
Perhaps ironically though, the greatest teachings from the Bible pertain not simply to what Christ said, but to what He did.
For instance, when the Apostle Peter was drowning in the Sea of Gallilee, did Christ simply offer him "thoughts and prayers" and then leave him to his fate? Or did Christ reach forth and pull Peter out of the ocean and aboard their ship? It was the latter that Christ did, demonstrating that there is a time for prayers, but also a time for action.
Also, when in Christ's parable a man was beset upon by bandits, and lay bleeding by the side of the road, were the Pharisees who gave him a wide birth as they walked by morally justified? Or was it the Samaritan who directly intervened on the poor man's behalf, nursing him back to health? Again, the lesson is that positive feelings must be accompanied by positive action.
So clearly, thoughts and prayers alone are not enough in this world. If you have the ability to help, then you also have a duty to help. And that is both a spiritual teaching and a sensical approach to life.
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