Why should we pray for Boston?

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Whenever tragic incidents like the Boston Marathon blasts take place it shakes our belief in humanity and in society. Such incidents happen with alarming regularity in other parts of the world too and the first thing that comes to our mind is to say...Our prayers are with the victims and their families.

Have you ever wondered if these prayers are of any use?


Why should we pray?

Before I speak about prayer, let's look at what makes us human in the first place...

Man vs Beast


I went to a jungle safari few weeks back. Since then I have been thinking about us human beings. About how we are so different from the wild beasts of the jungle that are isolated, untamed and some almost on the verge of extinction.

It isn't that animals don't have compassion or love for their fellow beings. But animals in most cases are concerned only about their own survival or of their immediate family. Here is where human beings are different. Unlike animals we have managed to build a larger safety net called society.

Currency of life


It might be safe to assume that society functions because of some form of currency but the secret ingredient that actually binds us all together is called humanity.

By humanity I don't mean that one has to be a Mother Teresa. Every time we wish someone a good morning, good night or say hello with a smile or wish someone on their birthday (even if it is just a wall post on Facebook) or greet someone on special occasions and festivals or say the words ’I love you’, every time we do that...we propagate humanity and in the process we unknowingly strengthen the fabric of society.

Spread the love


Praying for someone's well being is a higher form of the same love. For somewhere we subconsciously know that our well being lies in the well being of others. We are not wild animals that can live in isolation. Humanity is the glue that binds us together.

Terrorism hits at this very fabric of society. Why just terrorism, any kind of negativity damages the same structure. A fractured society with fractured homes and dysfunctional families is the perfect recipe for disaster. We won't need any CCTVs to monitor ourselves if our families were perfect.

The answer to terrorism isn't war, it is love.

As the famous Charlie Chaplin quote says...

"You need power only when you want to do something harmful, otherwise love is enough to get everything done"

You don't even have to pray to make the world better, doesn’t matter if it is for Boston or any other place. All you need to do is just hug someone close to you and see how the love spreads.

Cheers and prayers!!!

Kartik Dayanand Boddapati

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Comments

  1. Sharmistha ChatterjeeApr 17, 2013, 10:15:00 PM

    Its only a matter of belief or rather choice that one would pray for some other person in distress or emphathise with that person to understand what it is like loosing someone close to ur heart , in bomb blasts or terror attacks.

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