It gives me a special sense of irony to write about the shallow culture of social media when I write for a site that is fueled solely by social media. However, as I was scrolling through Facebook like many Millennials, Baby Boomers and everyone in between I stumbled across a shared Facebook status of Andrew L. Seidel, an attorney with an interesting perspective on the current hashtag of the day #PrayForBrussels.
Seidel’s basic argument is that religion is part of the problem in that people choose to pray for a cause and share mournful Facebook posts instead of putting those words and sharing into action. Seidel instead encouraged his fellow friends to donate money and put their words into action. He ends his post with the notion that religion is not the solution, but the problem.
Seidel’s post was inflammatory to some but thought-provoking to others. I disagree with Seidel’s statement in that religion is the problem, not the solution. Religion is a way that people come together. Prayer is a way of connecting with other is hope and grief, a way to show a sense of solidarity with the people around us. Though each God is not universal, the action of prayer is one that gives comfort and hope no matter which deity one believes in.
However, Seidel makes an excellent point in that prayer should be in addition to action. Too often I find myself simply sharing an article to spread awareness. This alone is not enough. The sharing culture of social media is a way to connect and inform a large group of people, although the act of sharing does not necessarily translate into real action. I can share as many articles as I want. Sharing articles about the horrors committed by ISIS or natural disasters in other states or countries does help educate our peers, but even though our intentions are good what we end up with is all talk and no action. In order to truly make an impact in my community and in the lives of other people, we need to follow our prayers with time volunteering, donating goods, or even money.
Words are meaningless without action. Politicians talk all the time, sometimes only to hear themselves talk, but without real policy change our nation and our world continue down the same troubled path. The tragedies in Ankara and Brussels are truly horrifying, but simply sharing articles about these troubling events is not enough. Instead, donate money to charities helping those who have been impacted by the terror acts in Ankara, Brussels, Yemen, Afghanistan and the list goes on.
Donate Here!
Ankara Refugee Ministry
Brussels Terror Attack Victims Fund
Brussels Attacks Survivors Assistance Network
The UN Refugee Agency
“You are what you do, not what you say you’ll do.” – C. G. Jung
