From the Editors August 26, 2013 Issue

Tweets chirping in the night

The Editors

Tweeting has become one of the most popular forms of expressing concern about—or happiness over—an event or condition. So it’s no surprise that thousands of people tweeted prayers to Oklahoma after the monster tornadoes struck a while back. This was just one event where prayerful tweets were part of the picture, and it’s likely they will continue to be part of humanity’s response to major events. 

Some people are suggesting that tweets requesting prayer are shallow, just following the crowd. As a CNN report put it, “... some religious scholars say devout petitions require more than moving your hands across a keyboard” (“Who hears #PrayersForOklahoma?” May 20, 2013). 

They may have a point, but what about the thought behind those moving hands? Even if some are just tweeting along with the crowd, that doesn’t preclude sincere prayer from believers, moved to tweet when they are facing or hearing about some dire event that touches their hearts. 

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