Following the tragic death of 17 people in a South Florida school on 14 February, one response has been a call for prayer to return to a prominent place in American schools. One US Christian radio host has gone so far as to suggest that prayer in the school would have prevented the attack.
Taking a different tact, the Mountain Goats’ lead singer, John Darnielle, recently took to Twitter to decry the lack of action on gun control. His comments took on the theology of prayer and the subject of when action was required.
The 50 year old musician, who previously considered a life as a preacher, took umbrage with the repeated expressions of thoughts and prayers on the platform following outbreaks of gun violence. His comment thread expounded on James 2.
James believes. So do I. James seeks God in prayer. So do I. But James also knows that praying for relief from something you might have prevented is a cop-out
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) February 14, 2018
and that praying for relief from something you had the power to prevent but didn’t is rather an insult to God, Who gave you agency
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) February 14, 2018
and so God inspires James, in 2:14, to proclaim: “Faith without works is dead!”
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) February 14, 2018
this is God Himself seeing that tragedy will strike, and you may feel some attachment to what caused that tragedy, and not be willing to let it go
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) February 14, 2018
if you place the second amendment above God: so be it! take that up with Him. but God has already spoken on this subject
— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) February 14, 2018
Image by Lauren
Jonathan Foye is Insights’ Editor
