Thoughts and prayers are not enough

These last few weeks, we have been surrounded by so much violence that the danger is that we become inured to it. We become hardened and jaded as if this is now normal. This should never be normal. 

There is global violence with war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and crises in Africa. Here at home, we have seen our own violence. On Aug. 27, a gunman shattered the peace of a school, mass killing and wounding children as they prayed and worshipped. On Sept. 10, a 16-year-old student shot two of his classmates and then killed himself. On Sept. 9, podcaster, conservative political activist and founder and executive director of the student organization Turning Point USA, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated. In June, Minnesota Democratic State Senator Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated in their home. 

Our thoughts and prayers are always appreciated at these times, but they are not enough. As sons and daughters of Gaspar, we know the power of prayer, but we also know the importance of action. We are called to stand in the breach with the marginalized and most vulnerable in our midst. We are called to work for change. 

There seem to be endless school shootings, but we don’t have the will as a nation to pass commonsense gun laws. We continue to sell guns that are not intended for self defense or for hunting or target shooting. We can’t seem to agree on universal background checks that close the loopholes with gun shows. And we don’t give enough attention to mental illness and how the mentally ill are still able to get  their hands on guns. We think that more guns will make us safer, and yet, we own more guns in our country than people and instead of being the safest country in the world, we are one of the most violent. 

The state of the soul of America is troubled. Political violence seems to be at a point where, because we disagree with someone, we pick up a gun. Do we see each other as neighbors or enemies because we disagree with one another? So much of this is fanned by the polarized warfare of social media. All of us are imperfect, but, together, we should be working for a more perfect union. 

Let us continue to pray, but let us also work to make our world a better place. 

Gabino Zavala, JPIC Director