Hope, Thoughts and Prayers or Action?

What do these words really mean? Roughly translated being said by a person to somebody else. “I can’t really do anything about it, but I’m sorry this happened.”

When a politician says it, it really means that. There is little chance they can do anything about it and therefore, let’s get hope, thoughts and prayers working on it.

The Washington Post analyzed more than 600,000 tweets containing the phrase “thoughts and prayers” between 2012 and 2019 and found that the expression has become a political flash point on social media. Its usage often correlates with political views, faith affiliation and positions on gun policy, according to interviews with experts on religion and politics.

THE ‘THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS’ BACKLASH, John D. Harden and Marisa Iati

The power of prayer, otherwise known as wishful thinking, is what people do when they can’t do anything.

What people are really looking for is not hope, nor thoughts and prayers. They are looking for action.

Action does not have to be a complete solution. Actions means do something! You don’t have to budge an inch to give hope or thoughts and prayers.

“Dear Jesus, do something.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, Pale Fire

I see people turned off when they have to be lectured about hope and optimism. For those wanting action, these words are hollow. They don’t hold any substance and can indicate immediately that nothing will or can be done because they have always been associated with talk followed by inaction.

These words are a legacy of the church where due to the fact that bad things happen, the only thing religious people can offer are prayers. They can’t say God doesn’t care, or can’t do anything because he doesn’t exist. So, it’s the will of God for trials and tribulations to improve the soul for which the only remedy is prayers that most likely wont be answered. If prayers were all that were needed you would never hear, “ Hallelujah, God answered my prayers.”

The case of “Thoughts and Prayers”, is it better than saying nothing? By saying to anybody, especially a group, “Thoughts and Prayers”, could invoke an unexpected reaction like, “Why don’t you do something about it?”. Then, you are in a trap and will have to put that big helpless look on your face. Mainly because people are tired of hearing the phrase because it does just that, it invokes a sense of helplessness.

“To give pleasure to a single heart by a single act is better than a thousand heads bowing in prayer.”
― Mahatma Gandhi

Doing something even as mundane as marching, shouting, making a sign or screaming at the television is better than invoking the “Thoughts and Prayers”. And, it is better than somebody sees you doing that, rather than calmly smiling and offering “Thoughts and Prayers”.

Even the Bible hints at how just believing in something without doing is fruitless.

What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him?

James 2:14–26

Almost every institution has put aside the idea that wishful thinking will make a difference -businesses, military, education etc. A corporate board meetings don’t start out with “let’s pray for more profits”, and the military doesn’t (or shouldn’t) put prayer as one of the factors in their plans, and only students who don’t study pray for getting a passing grade.

So, let’s say it like it is. “Thoughts and Prayers” should not be part of a political dialog or ever come out of the mouth of a politician when a tragedy wither man-made or natural takes place. People would rather much hear what they going to do about it or not.

A statement like, ”What happened is terrible and I can’t do anything about it unless you act with me. If we act together something will get done. Otherwise, “Thoughts and Prayers!”