Prayer and Responsibility

Well, school shooting season is open. I hate how numb I am to it. I hate that we recite the same words, the same accusations, the same prayers over and over. It’s only different for the new community that has to deal with the loss and trauma. We grieve for them, knowing how easily it could be us.

I can’t imagine the terror of seeing that alert from my children’s school, or of hiding under office furniture texting last messages, or of rushing to a gathering point praying for good news, knowing someone is getting bad.

Those of us removed from the incident offer our prayers, because what else can we do? The problem comes when no one does anything except offers prayers.

Offering thoughts, prayers, consolation is good. Empathy is good. However, those who have power also have a responsibility to respond. The police investigate the crime scene. The medics and hospitals care for the injured. The funeral homes arrange funerals. Because it has to be done, and that’s their job. But when we look to politicians to react with policy changes, we’re told to not make it political, to just pray. But their job isn’t to pray; it’s to set policy, to create laws to make the community safe.

A pastor’s job is to pray. There is a pastor in Minneapolis right now who is planning the eulogies for two children and boarding up the shot-up stained glass, who is visiting the injured in the hospital and talking with families and trying to figure out where to go from here. He is doing all of that on top of praying.

He was praying before the shooting during a school Mass at Annunciation Catholic School yesterday, and he will continue praying. Prayer doesn’t absolve responsibility.

After the shooting the mayor of Minneapolis said, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”

We cry up to heaven every time that God will give those grieving comfort and healing. But we also need to cry to those in power to do something, to reduce the number of times we have to go through this. Restrict guns. Invest in mental healthcare. Do something. Act like this isn't normal. Pray AND act. Because we know, otherwise, it will just happen again and again and again. Nothing will change, not even the ready-to-go messages of thoughts and prayers. How many more times will post these messages, knowing it's not the last? Because what else can we do?