Thoughts, Prayers, and ACTION

 

 

Scripture

 Acts 1:1-11

¹In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning ²until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. ³After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. ⁴While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. “This,” he said, “is what you have heard from me; ⁵for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

⁶So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?” ⁷He replied, “It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. ⁸But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” ⁹When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. ¹⁰While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. ¹¹They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  (NRSV)

 

Devotion

The first school shooting that I remember occurred when I was a freshman in high school.  The year was 1998.  The place: Jonesboro, Arkansas.  Two middle school boys killed 4 students and 1 teacher, wounding 10 others.  The news was full of people sending up their thoughts and prayers.  The next year was Columbine.  15 dead and 24 injured.  Sophomore me cried as I listened over and over again to quotes about how what happened in that school library did not represent the spirit of America…how we were going to come together as a nation and fix things so that tragedies like this never happened again.  Once again, people across the nation sent their thoughts and prayers.

23 years and over 200 school shootings later, the promises made in 1999 ring hollow.  And I admit that I, like many of my friends and colleagues, am sick to death of hearing about thoughts and prayers.  Thoughts and prayers after the fact fill an empty bedroom or the hollow place in a parents’ heart.  ought sand prayers do not stop a bullet.  And if we have learned anything by now, thoughts and prayers alone will not stop the cycle of violence to continue.  Since 1999, our nation has raised children who go kill other children.  Each time another school gets added to the list, our national response seems to be to look to the sky and offer up our thoughts and prayers. 

It’s as if people of faith think that if we just hit a certain number of prayers, Jesus will just come back and magically fix things for us.  But if we haven’t figured out that this strategy isn’t working…well, then we will continue to be sorely disappointed.  And our nation’s children will continue to die.

The thought of all those thoughts and prayers ascending to heaven brings to mind the moment when the disciples watched Jesus ascend to heaven.  The disciples knew that Christ promised the Holy Spirit would empower them to be his witnesses throughout the land.  They knew he had said they would be the ones to take part in bringing God's kingdom on Earth by feeding the hungry, healing the sick, bringing good news to the poor, and acting as peacemakers.  But now that the moment has come to begin taking up that work, the disciples just keep staring up at the sky.  It is as if they are trying to will Jesus into coming back and doing everything himself.  They are happy to talk about Jesus restoring the kingdom to Israel, but they more than a little reticent to begin doing that Spirit-filled work themselves. 

 Beloved, it is easy to offer up thoughts and prayers.  It is harder to follow up with action.  But like the disciples before us, Christ has empowered us to be his witnesses here and now.  We can’t just stare at the sky.  We are all called to do our part to build up his kingdom by following up our thoughts and prayers with Spirit-filled actions.

 It is only when the angels ask them what they think they are doing that our erstwhile disciples manage to tear their gaze away from the sky.  It will take even longer for them to begin doing what Jesus told them to do.  But when the do begin to act as Christ’s witnesses, oh what amazing things they are able to accomplish in Christ’s name.  The kingdom of God doesn’t look like what they thought it would, but it does begin to be established through their faithful actions….and that kingdom spreads further than they could have imagined.  It turns out that the disciples-turned-apostles’ thoughts and prayers can make a difference…when those things are matched with Spirit-filled actions.  

As we add a Uvedale, Texas, to our ever-expanding list of places where children have lost their lives, I am begging people of faith across this nation to tear our gazes away from the sky and get to work.  Let us stop waiting for someone else—anyone else—to magically fix things for us.  Let us be Christ’s witnesses on Earth by demanding more from our senators.  And having hard conversations.  And better mentoring our youth.  And combating bullying and hatred in all their forms.  And getting people access to the mental, emotional, and spiritual help they need.    And seeking peace.  And taking any other action that the Holy Spirit tells us will help turn back our national tide of violence.  

 We must do this now, because our nation's children aren’t just dying; they are actively killing each other.  And we as a nation brought them up to do so.  Christ requires his witnesses on Earth to respond to such horrors with more than just our thoughts and prayers; he expects resolve and action as well.  So let us stop looking to the heavens and get to work.  If we all do our part, then the Holy Spirit will empower us to make a difference.  And every life we help save will be a cause for celebration.

 

Prayer

 Lord, the world is full of things that need changed. Help me tear my gaze from the sky and pay attention to what Christ has calling me to do in the world.  May the sincerity of my thoughts and prayers be shown through my actions.  May your Holy Spirit empower me to be your faithful witness, bringing about the change we would all like to see.  In Jesus's name we pray, Amen.