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The Naked Jesus

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No One is Called to Sit on Their Ass and Do Nothing

No One is Called to Sit on Their Ass and Do Nothing

Last updated on: August 18, 2016 at 3:22 pm by John O'Keefe

No One is Called to Sit on Their Ass and Do Nothing 2016-08-18T15:22:46-05:00 John O'Keefe

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A-PATHEOS-TNJ31.fw I’ve come to the conclusion, many people claiming to be follows of Jesus use prayer in a few ways:

To get out of helping other with their needs. A person comes to you and tells you that they are out of food, so you tell them “I’ll keep you in my prayers.” Which does nothing to end their hunger.

To feel good about doing nothing. You see people in your community standing with a sign that reads, “Need Food.” You think to yourself, “I prayed for the those in need this morning, I hope someone helps” and you just keep driving.

Let me say, I reality have nothing against prayer – we should be praying. We should always be going to the Divine for guidance and grace; it’s a good thing. We should be praying for so many things, to end hunger, to end poverty, to bring about world peace, and more. But, if you’re praying for something, are you involved in what you are praying for? If you’re praying to end hunger, are you feeding the hungry? If you are praying to end poverty, are you helping the poor? If you’re praying for world peace, are you speaking for peace? If you’re praying for social justice, are you a voice for social justice? If all you’re doing is praying for something to happen, it will never happen – because, if it’s on your heart to pray about, it should be on your heart to get involved.

In my view, prayer should lead to action. If you’re praying about ending hunger, but you’re not involved in ending hunger, all you’re doing is asking others to do all the work, or you’re ignoring the situation, trying to find comfort in your prayers.

Too many people say, “I’m not called to that, but I’ll pray for those doing it.” But, that is simply an excuse to do nothing. Let’s be honest here, no one is called to sit on their ass and do nothing. Everyone is called to get involved, get dirty, get connected. If you are using prayer, and the Collective Narrative, as an excuse to do nothing with your faith, reevaluate your faith. Keep in mind, there is no call in the Collective Narrative to be a “Prayer Warrior.”

NOTE: I know, how can I use the word “ass” in the title; keep in mind, the original title was, shall I say, much deeper.

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