![]() When we pray, we allow our hearts to respond rightly to evil and suffering in the world. Johnson JWhen there is a mass shooting in the United States, public discourse follows a familiar pattern. And, remember actions typically speak louder than words. The power of prayer does not come because it changes God but it does change things and it does change us. Thoughts and Prayers As inhabitants of the only country in the world where school shootings are routine, the American faithful must not pray for serenity, but for courage. At the end of the day, express your sympathy the same way you’d want someone to treat you during a time of need. The beauty of language is that it’s personal to every human being, each word means something slightly different for each person. If “thoughts and prayers” truly feels heartfelt to you, then by all means, say that.īut, if there are other ways you feel like you can support someone during a trying time in their lives, stick to that. So, what are the proper words to express your condolences? Every person will face tragedy at some point in their lives, and every person will support a loved one going through a tragedy as well. This is sometimes labeled by critics as slacktivism, especially when it pertains to passive political engagement. But you might want to say something else. And it demonstrates understanding of their pain and empathy to the situation. It’s a lovely sentiment that may well be true. Saying something like, they’re in a better place now or everything happens for a reason can feel very hurtful to someone who is grieving. This is particularly true on social media, when a person may simply type “thoughts and prayers” before moving on to whatever content is trending that day. When offering your condolences to those who have suffered a loss one of the most common phrases is ‘you’re in my thoughts and prayers’ (or some variation of that). What You Can Say Instead of Sending ‘Thoughts and Prayers’ When sending condolences to someone who is grieving, you’ll want to make sure your message is appropriate, sensitive, kind, and caring. Generally speaking, though, the criticism lies in the lack of action that goes along with these words. Asking God for rain isn’t what healing prayer is all about. Similarly, prayers generally implies that a person will pray for a quick recovery. Drought is a suggestion of limitation and lack, a contradiction of reality, which is forever spiritual and good. In this context, thoughts typically refer to thinking positively for a victim and hoping that they recover quickly. On their own, the words thoughts and prayers aren’t inherently bad. To those who were offended, the words seemed hollow. I look at those comments and cant bring myself to like something promoting prayer, but I dont have more comforting to say. It shows people care, and many people may talk to their god about it. When people, especially politicians, expressed their “thoughts and prayers” after these events, they were heavily criticized if they were perceived as taking little action, particularly legislatively. Thoughts and prayers because people cant do anything of value, and synonymous with that. The phrase has gained particular momentum in the wake of mass shootings, such as the 2015 Paris attacks, the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, and the 2018 Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Since then, these seemingly harmless, often well-intended words have been used after everything from hurricanes to acts of terrorism. How is the phrase thoughts and prayers used today? Enter a supportive, albeit passive, phrase to express sympathy. Furthermore, politicians felt restricted in what they could say or do, especially since the tragedy was directly related to the contentious gun debate that exists in the United States. In the face of such an incomprehensible tragedy, the general public felt unable to do anything tangible to take away the pain of the victims’ families, as well as the survivors. While theories on the history of the phrase “thoughts and prayers” vary, it is often traced back to the Columbine High School massacre of 1999. And one of the most popular phrases online? “Thoughts and prayers.” With social media amplifying these stories, more and more people are offering their condolences than ever before. From mass shootings to natural disasters, it seems like every day, there’s a new tragedy on the news.
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