Taking Prayer for a Walk

Taking Prayer for a Walk

I once had a Pastor that was truly a man of prayer but he always mentioned that “we need to put legs on those prayers.” I took that to mean that it was all good to pray but that prayers worked better with some action.

After a period of trying to reason with people who are not racist as far as I know that white privilege does exist and that the statues of the Confederacy are symbols of that privilege I have given up. I can't penetrate the armor that protects people from the hard facts of racism. So many continue to say that the statues aren't the problem, that the hardness of people's hearts is the problem. Well, duh. But for the time being the statues are part of the problem. As is the meme floating around about never owning any slaves so just get over it.

So, I really want to request prayer for those cops that beat Freddie Gray to death. Even though they can't be convicted in a court of law maybe they can be convicted in their hearts. And I want to ask for prayer for Freddie Gray's family so that they can have peace knowing that people are praying for them.

Also for Tamir Rice who was killed by cops seconds after pulling up on him. Maybe those prayers will change the hearts of people who weren't appalled by his death. Too late for Tamir but better late than never.

And instead of people who are angry that anti-semitics, nazis and white supremacists are marching through our streets spouting hateful rhetoric I would like to ask for prayer for those skinheads, etc. to see the light and go home and do good works. No need to protest against them. Just stay home and watch television.

Personally, I'm a big fan of prayer but I'm also a big fan of action. Legs on the prayers. I don't think they are mutually exclusive.

My Take is that people sometimes hide behind prayer to keep from taking action. That's not right.