“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
― Mahatma Gandhi
Pray. That’s all I can do for now. Just Pray. Pray for your family. Pray for your friends. Pray for someone in the world who may be suffered from unimaginable pain, poverty, and loneliness.
A couple of days ago, shocking news reverberated across my country. The bodies of a man, woman, and two children were found in a car parked at a convenience store’s parking lot in Yokohama. The police believed it was a murder-suicide.
A friend of the man who was found dead in the car told the police that he received a text message in which the man hinted at committing suicide. According to the police, a blood-stained knife was found in the car, which was locked.
I couldn’t believe such a despairing thing happened in my city. The cause of the murder-suicide remains unknown. But why? Why did they have to give up their choice to live? And why did they have to involve their own children? Didn’t they have any other options than death?
During the coronavirus pandemic, the suicide rate has risen at an alarming rate in my country, Japan. Reasons behind those who took their own lives vary, but some of them may have related to the social instability caused by the pandemic, which our government failed to stop.
My country’s politics has been run by the same party for over 70 years with a few exceptions. Politicians only think about their own interests, despite the fact that they have the power to direct our society in a better direction if they have the will.
Has the harsh reality of those who suffer in this country ever crossed their mind even once? Are they really aware of the struggles of those who suffer financially, mentally, and physically, such as the family of four who found dead in the car? And such tragedies are happening in our world every single day.
I’m devasted by this reality. When it comes to myself, do I alone have the power to change the world? No. I’m just a powerless individual. But I do know the power of kindness, because kindness always makes a difference.
And I dream about a world where kindness overwhelms us all and sustains us when we think we have nothing left. Our dream will eventually invite us all to take action someday to make this world a better place. A better place for humanity. A better place for democracy. A better place for freedom of speech. Until then, I pray.
Some naysayers may tell us praying isn’t enough. Just by praying, our world might not change to a better place. Maybe. Not all the time, but I know it somewhat sometimes works. Some people might say it doesn’t make sense. Make sense? Really? Does everything else in our universe have to make sense? I wouldn’t agree with that.
Why do people fall in love? Why do people become friends and stay friends? Why do some parents adopt children who don’t have any biological relations and love them? Why do parents love their handicapped children deeply and emotionally communicate with them despite their intellectual challenges that deprived them of the ability to speak?
It doesn’t make sense. But it works somewhat. So, let me ask you the same question again. Does everything else in our universe have to make sense? What would you say?
And this notion is applicable to praying as well. Praying itself may not seem powerful enough to make a difference. But maybe it does. Think about it.
Here, let me share a little background about myself with you. Born in a Catholic family, I’ve been blessed with incredible encounters with some beautiful souls. Even though I’m not a regular churchgoer and not a super religious person, but I do know the power of prayer as I mentioned earlier.
On the other hand, my occupation is a programmer. Every single day, I communicate with a computer. In this field, everything has to make sense because the native language of computers is mathematics. When I communicate with my colleagues, I have to make logically compatible explanations. And when I’m coding, things have to logically coherent.
However, when I communicate with another human being, this theory isn’t applicable. Even though you’re right and logically correct, sometimes you may face a situation where you shouldn’t talk back. If it hurts someone else, it should stay in your mind.
Let me get back on track. Praying itself may seem powerless. And it doesn’t make sense. But our world is full of wonder, inspiring cultures, and amazing creations that don’t make sense. And we need them. Why do we need a piece of art within a modern metropolis? Because we need them.
In a world where people keep telling us to do things that make sense, we also need to be aware of actions and thoughts that don’t make sense.
So, I pray. I pray for the world. I pray for humanity.
Someday, we will be an unsilenced voice together.
Until then, I pray…
Here are some shots I photographed in September 2011.
