When tragedy strikes, the first instinct for many people seems to be to pray. I have nothing wrong with that. You're free to do what you like, and I can understand how prayer can bring many people comfort and peace during hard times. However, over the past couple of years, it seems to be a growing trend to tag posts with #PrayFor(InsertCityHere). Though the immediate message is to send love and thoughts of peace to the people in these cities, I cannot help but get angry whenever I see a hashtag urging people to pray.
The first major hashtag I can remember was #PrayForJapan after the devastating earthquake and tsunami in March 2011. Since then, the hashtag has been the average person's main form of empathy for those in countries experiencing tragic events. We've seen #PrayForItaly, #PrayForBrussels, #PrayForCharleston, #PrayForLondon, #PrayForBoston, #PrayForNice, #PrayForDallas, #PrayForParis and #PrayForOrlando. Are we going to make a hashtag for every tragedy that strikes this world? Because if we are, we shouldn't exclude other places which experience the same amount of horrific violence but don't get mainstream media attention. Where is the hashtag for those conflicts?
This movement doesn't just make me angry because it is exclusory, but because there is no real action happening in response to these events. The normal thing to do is make a post saying how awful it is that this thing has happened in our world and hashtag it. Then, after a couple of weeks, we forget that it happened. If it didn't really affect us, then there's no reason to continue to talk about it. There's no action happening. It's the way people feel better about themselves. They feel like they're making a difference, when in reality, they're not.
I'm not understating the severity of these events, but merely suggesting that there is so much more we can do collectively and individually. If you want to do something useful when tragedy happens, actually DO something. There are more ways to contribute than to hashtag a tweet or change your Facebook profile picture. Donate to a relief fund for the country or city in need, raise awareness about things that are happening overseas, or even in our own country (and not just the stuff mainstream media is covering. Do some digging). Because hash-tagging and praying aren't helping. Be intentional in your thoughts and actions. Just because you aren't affected firsthand by these events, doesn't mean that someone else isn't. For someone out there, it is their reality and a prayer isn't going to make all of their problems go away.
