Why Thoughts and Prayers Are Enough

Recently, there was another school shooting. This one occurred at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In that attack, two children were killed, an eight and ten-year-old, and 21 other people were wounded. This was the most despicable of killings. The children were participating in the beginning of school worship service when a gunman opened fire.

The response of some politicians and political partisans was nearly as pitiful as the act. When people of faith were expressing their horror at what had happened, nearly all of them expressed condolences to the victims by saying, “our thoughts and prayers are with those who endured this tragedy.”

Those words had hardly left people’s mouths when Atheists, liberal politicians and media figures, and gun control advocates were criticizing them for offering their “thoughts and prayers.” We’ve seen this before, but this time it was more blatant and in your face. Instead of expressing condolences to the victims of the shooting, they began criticizing those who did. They were making comments such as: “Thoughts and prayers are meaningless. The real problem is the guns, and we need to ban them.” In a similar vein, some were saying that those offering “thoughts and prayers” were horrible people because they would not support gun control efforts. They were accusing those people of not having compassion, and being unwilling to do the things that would keep this from happening in the future.

Before we go any further, let me state emphatically that this blog is not about politics or gun control. But you can’t get at the real issue without addressing the responses people are having to this event. I understand that people have different political policy preferences when it comes to the second amendment and gun control. And I believe it is okay, even a good thing, to have that debate. But in the process of having the debate, is it also critical to be honest. To be against guns while at the same time ignoring all of the other problems associated with gun violence is simply dishonest.

But even that skirts the real issue. If you were to actually have an in-depth conversation with the ones who criticize those who offer prayers for the victims, you would find that most of them don’t want to have anything to do with God ... and most of the others have a view of God that doesn’t correspond to what is revealed in the Bible.

People who don’t believe in the God of the Bible see political action as the only possibility for solving the problems that exist in the world. They think appealing to God is a cop out.

So if you don’t believe in God, or that sin does not exist, or that God is impotent, what possible solutions for violence exist? If people don’t believe there is a spiritual element to the solution, the only possibility is to come up with some kind of social remedy. And under that kind of belief, since there is considered to be no such thing as objectively real moral beliefs, the source of morality has to be the people who are able to accumulate enough power to get their moral preferences enacted.

The only problem is, that expression of reality is not real. God is real. Sin is real. And there is such a thing as objectively real morality. But those who deny those truths will not accept it. So what choice do they have but to promote social remedies to what is actually a spiritual problem?

People who hate will continue to hate until their hearts are changed. People who are perverted will continue to be perverted until their hearts are changed. People who are cold hearted will continue to be cold hearted until their hearts are changed. And people will not be in a position to have their hearts changed until they come face to face with the realization that God is real, and are willing to open their lives to Him.

Christians don’t offer thoughts and prayers as a substitute for promoting good political policy to address violence in society. That said, there exists an actual spiritual reality, and people are spiritual beings whether they realize it or not – whether they believe it or not. And the solution to all of the problems associated with gun violence (and every other moral evil that is going on in the world) has to begin with a recognition of the spiritual issues at play.

Part of that is for God to give peace and comfort to those who are suffering and grieving. Another part of that solution is for those who are committing the violence to have their hearts changed. And the only way that happens is for them to know God.

People who don’t know Him and are advocating for material and social solutions to spiritual problems are spitting into the wind. Their solutions are useless, and they will never understand until they get their own lives lined up with actual reality.

Freddy Davis is the president of MarketFaith Ministries. He is the author of numerous books entitled The Truth Mirage, Rules for Christians Radicals, Liberalism vs. Conservatism, and his latest book Shattering the Truth Mirage and has a background as an international missionary, pastor, radio host, worldview trainer, and entrepreneur. Freddy is a graduate of Florida State University with a BS in Communication, and holds MDiv and DMin degrees from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is a popular speaker, particularly on the topic of worldview and its practical implications for the Christian life. He lives in Tallahassee, FL, with his wife Deborah.

You may also contact Freddy at Leadership Speakers Bureau to schedule him for speaking or leadership engagements.

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