Japan was the epicenter for an earthquake and a tsunami. Now this Japanese boy would like Japan to be the epicenter for our compassion.
h/t nakedpastor
In Twitter the hashtag #prayforjapan has been trending and I have noticed that this has been getting up the noses of some of atheist friends, who are Tweeting things along the lines of 'don't pray, do something'.
Now I must admit that I don't think my prayers stopped one person from being injured or killed by the Tsunami, so why do I pray?
I believe that my prayers open me up to being more compassionate. If I hold people in my thoughts before God it changes the way I feel about them. that is why praying for my enemies is so important. Aid agencies and charities generally seem packed with people of faith, people who pray. It isn't an either/or thing, in my opinion - either pray for Japan or do something... it is a both/and thing.
I also think we pray because we need to. When I was a kid, I didn't live in a household that prayed or spoke of God. But if I really wanted something my mum would tell me to cross my fingers. Sometimes I hoped for things so much I crossed all of my fingers. It was a sort of prayer. What else do you do if your cat is sick or the policeman rings on the door to say your brother has had a motorcycle accident? Even when I was an atheist I crossed my fingers, not because it was going to affect anything, but because it was somehow an act that epitomised my hopes.
In addition, some people clearly believe that prayer changes things. Maybe it does, I don't know.
I came across this post that I wrote about the earthquake in Haiti. It has a link through to a post about earthquakes that I thought was interesting at the time.
14 comments:
I think that you are still an atheist, but that you just don't have the courage or decency to say so.
This post is perhaps the most appalling string of words that I have seen from a priest.
But what am I thinking: this isn't a blog post about Japan or its victims, or about God or Christians is it? The subject matter is the same as it is in all your posts.
Please read this before you delete it, over and over.
Anonymous, why don't you leave your name? It is hard to start a dialogue otherwise.
"It isn't an either/or thing, in my opinion - either pray for Japan or do something... it is a both/and thing."
You clearly have a point there, Lesley. My experience is that the one inspires the other. And often prayer is a way (one of several possible ways I guess) to express care when there is nothing else one can do.
A few years ago when I had important exams, an elderly relative told me she would go and light a candle for me in a church. I tried not to raise my eyebrows too obviously, coz, well... I am a Christian and I do pray, but I am far from believing that a burning candle will have any influence on exam results whatsoever. But then I thought: Hang on! What she is doing there, is the best thing she can think of to express her genuine love and care. The image of that candle flame become a symbol of her loving heart for me. I still don't believe that candles change things, but I do go and light them for people I care about now.
It is interesting that atheists are often the ones spreading 'hate' and yet Christians are often the ones spreading a message of love....
Anyway, Lesley, I thought your post was great. As you say most people who pray don't just pray, they act too. And what is so wrong with prayer anyway? It is not harming anyone and those of us who have faith, believe it is actually doing some good. I'd be interested to know how many of those people who keep saying 'don't pray, do something' (I have noticed that too) are actually 'doing' something themselves...
For many the act of prayer is a way of helping when they simply can't do anything else. For many of us, all we can do aside from pray, is to make a donation to the cause. Most people do not have the skills to offer to actually go out and help. So what does it achieve by suggesting people actually do something? other than just slinging accusations around?
red
Yeah, what Red said! ;-)
Far from being appalled, I found this genuinely very helpful. And I agree about both/and.
Whatever else prayer "does", it often makes me more compassionate.
One should never leave a response in annoyance but wth, anonymous above peeved me (I hate it when people try to define the beliefs of others, particularly when they don't subscribe to any of it themselves and especially when one is just trying to be honest, as you were Lesley).
Most Christians *do* do something as well. The practical bit is the essence of Christian charity. But you know what, in times of tragedy, sometimes you feel that just giving something material isn't enough. Maybe it's just human psychology, who knows. Who cares. We pray because there's nothing left to do and because it can (though doesn't always) provide comfort to the soul - or inner mind or whatever you want to call it if soul sounds too mystical - of those we're praying for. It can help people feel human again after experiencing so much inhuman devastation, knowing that there are other humans across the world mumbling or chanting words to God/some god/themselves for their sake.
So take that superstitious nonsense into your blunt and smoke it. Bah.
I don't pray in any conventional sense, but what you say Lesley is the Buddhist view for doing something like the Metta Bhavana - that is to say you give the outward rings of concern, but a Buddhist will say the person changed is yourself. And then the important thing is that changes your own personal impact with the world as you buzz along with it.
This is why, when I take a service, I include as a matter of course intercessions. We often don't in the Unitarians, unless something big is unavoidable for reflective comment; but the point about the intercession is it directs the point of attention away from oneself and yet, more strongly, directs the impact better at oneself.
Sorry to disagree, but atheists do not usually spread hate compared with Christians who spread love. Look at the recent topics discussed. Atheists express realism, and are worth hearing, and on the matter of prayer as a communication that makes a physical difference, I agree with them. But the point I then make is prayer and meditation as a spiritual practice, and that the content of words, including concern, matter.
yes, sorry, was just a bit irritated as a few non-believers had made similar points to anon, to me recently. Always annoys me when people judge the whole by a few which is what I just did. Apologies... Must do better..;)
redx
I just wonder why not?
I started praying for Japan and have continued to do so. Perhaps it is instinctive, but I'm not really in a position to fly out and to render aid, I might be able to give to an appeal. The only thing I can do it try to intercede by prayer.
If I were an Atheist, I could do everything except pray. I know which I prefer.
Hi Red, "It is interesting that atheists are often the ones spreading 'hate' and yet Christians are often the ones spreading a message of love...." - That's probably because you frequent religious blogs. Atheist blogs get plenty of the 'You'll burn in hell' stuff. It's all inconsequential.
I don't see why you shouldn't pray if that works for you. While watching the news I and I'm sure most atheists were feeling sorry and wishing them well.
I don't have a problem with arguing the atheist view on prayer, but there are times and occasions when how you do what you do doesn't matter.
I'd object the the Twitter comment just as I'd object to religious proselytising during relief efforts.
The Anonymous comment is funny. I'm occasionally told that I'm a true believer, but I haven't realised it yet, and I'll be saved one day. Heaven forbid :)
Lesley, your post spoke strongly both to me and for me, so thank you.
As a retired parish priest, I find that my instinctive reaction to disaster is to pray, not because I believe that God will immediately do what I ask, but because I need to hold the pain and the suffering and the grief in my heart and trust that in some way this will make a difference. I use fewer and fewer words in my prayer as I get older, preferring to be still before God and open myself up to compassion and love and depth.
The post and the comments speak to me of the way we all struggle to deal with big events. I am with Perpetually in Transit - as another retired cleric I find that being silent can be as powerful and moving a prayer as using my own inadequate words. Liturgies sometimes help though.
Lesley, well done for letting the comment by Anon to stand and for answering so graciously. I might have splatted it into somewhere very unkind!
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