“A prayer doesn’t have to be the Lord’s Prayer or involve a rosary or be at a house of worship or even with closed eyes. A prayer is simply sending energy and love to a person we’re thinking about. Sure, it can be a formal prayer talking to God as we’re taught in organized religion. But a prayer can also be a spiritual crystal-holding intention to send light or it can be a metaphysical practice of sending energy. We’re all connected. Think loving thoughts for someone is same energy going for the receiver no matter what method you send it. It’s all “praying.” (Tracy G White)
Just over a week ago, Kevin Smith, a famous writer, actor, and director, suffered a major heart attack that almost took his life. While many in the entertainment industry that respected Smith wished him a speedy recovery, one notable actor, Chris Pratt, took it a step further. Pratt, the guy from the Jurassic World movies and the Guardians of the Galaxy movies, sent out a tweet on Twitter that said he was praying his ass off for Smith because he believes in the healing power of prayer and then asked everyone else to pray with him for Smith as well. Sadly, instead of seeing this gesture as an act of kindness and unconditional love, many took the moment to criticize Pratt’s words, finding them offensive, and stating that prayer wasn’t the thing that was going to help Kevin Smith heal, that doctors would. And rather than rely on something like prayer to see positive change in this world take place, that people needed to take physical action instead.
While those people made valid points, what I find most unfortunate about this whole matter is that prayer doesn’t have to be viewed as a religious thing at all. The simple act of thinking about someone else with fond thoughts and sending them love and healing from one’s heart is a form of praying in itself. I’m pretty sure it’s a safe bet to say that each of us in this world have probably at some point or another, thought of someone else with love in our heart, and if we did, even for a moment, then we did a form of praying. Yet, people tend to think of prayer as simply a religious act where one communicates to a deity, which ironically is far from the total truth. While that is indeed one form of praying, there are plenty of other ways people pray too, that have nothing to do with religion. The acts of chanting, sitting in nature, and meditating, are just some of those.
Of course, it is important to back every form of prayer with action when possible. A good example is how I prayed for all those hurting in Texas last year when the flooding and destruction took place, yet I also sent a donation to one of the relief efforts in the hopes that it might help. But even in saying that, it’s just as important to note that there are times when nothing more can be done but pray. As one notable Hollywood director said in response to the backlash Pratt received, it’s not like Pratt is a doctor and can perform any surgery, nor does Smith need Pratt’s money to cover his hospital bills. Thus, in this case, the best thing Pratt could have done was to send out healing prayers to Smith and ask others to pray as well.
Nevertheless, prayer is often misunderstood and labeled as nothing more than a religious act. But, maybe if people would just start looking at it as something more than communicating to a deity and instead seeing it as an act of channeling greater love and light on this planet, we might all start to benefit from it and truly see how we all are connected.
I pray that one day we all may unite on this planet through prayer, by sending each other love and healing, and trusting in doing so, that our world may become a brighter and lighter place to be in.
Peace, love, light, and joy,
Andrew Arthur Dawson
