Murdering Pietism

Imagine my shock when I was told that I was responsible for thousands of deaths. Thousands….that’s what he said. To quote the words exactly, ‘there are thousands of people dying in the world today because we’re not praying’.

There’s some things I need to say in response, like, how on earth can a statement like that be substantiated? I believe that there are things in life that defy scientific proofs, but if you’re naming numbers better have some evidence.

And let me tell you something that I can know without contradiction. There are thousands of people in the world dying today because I choose to consume the way I consume. There are thousands of people dying in the world today because I choose to live the way I live. There are thousands of people dying today because I give tacit assent to a government which prosecutes war.  But I don’t hear you railing against that.

So spare me the pietist rhetoric. If we’re really concerned about the thousands who are dying then encourage us to think of ways to incarnate our prayers. If we’re really serious help us make prayers of our actions.

For the doing of justice is as much a prayer as the words spoken on one’s knees.

So stop hiding in your prayer meetings. Stop confusing the matter with mumbled words. Stop petitioning God in ways that relieve you of responsibility. Instead, like James says, show me your faith means something by what you do with it.