In the wake of the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where a gunman opened fire during a morning Mass, killing two young children and injuring 17 others, we should all be united in grief and resolve.
Instead, prominent liberal voices like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki have chosen to politicize the tragedy by dismissing the value of prayer, claiming “now is not the time.”
Comments like these are not just tone-deaf, they’re hypocritical and reveal a deeper disdain for faith when it doesn’t align with their agenda.
In a press conference following the shooting, Mayor Frey declared, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying!” His rejection of prayer ignores the irony that these children were in worship when struck down, and it reeks of hypocrisy, given his own tearful kneeling at George Floyd’s golden casket five years ago; a moment praised as empathetic.
Jen Psaki echoed this with vitriol, tweeting, “Prayer is not freaking enough… Enough with the thoughts and prayers.”
As Christians, we see prayer as a lifeline to God who comforts the brokenhearted, not a distraction from action.
Her words mock the faith of the victims’ families at a Catholic school, dismissing the biblical truth that “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16).
Sadly, anti-prayer rhetoric from the left isn’t new; it’s a tired trope used to shame conservatives into silence while pushing for “action” that often means more restrictions on law-abiding citizens rather than tackling root causes like mental health crises, family breakdown, or the erosion of Judeo-Christian values in the public square.
The shooter, identified as 22-year-old Robert Westman, left behind notes citing depression, with hateful messages written on the firearms and magazines used in the horrific attack. Westman’s manifesto video, which has since been removed from YouTube, highlights a soul in torment who was confused about his identity, who lacked community, and most importantly, lacked faith.
Over the past decades, we’ve witnessed the secularization of public institutions, from schools to government, where faith is sidelined and moral absolutes are replaced with relativism. Young children are taught about gender theory and transition procedures, and resources are made available, all without parental consent or knowledge.
This moral ambiguity confuses children about their identity, resulting in questions like: Are there more than two genders? Did God assign me the wrong gender at birth? Am I a mistake?
Mental illness is spreading like a plague among younger generations, exacerbated by a culture that normalizes broken families, glorifies victimhood over resilience, and prioritizes political correctness over spiritual truth. Tragically, those in political office or a place of influence, like Frey and Psaki, uphold and amplify this decay through policies that undermine traditional values: defunding faith-based programs, promoting divisive social experiments in education, and scorning religious expression as outdated.
For conservative Christians, prayer is always appropriate, especially in tragedy; it’s what sustains us, unites us, and reminds us that true hope comes not from politicians but from the Prince of Peace.
As we mourn these precious lives lost in Minneapolis, let’s pray fervently—for the families, for justice, and for a nation that has forgotten its spiritual roots, urging a return to God before the plague of confusion and depression claims more innocent souls.
“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Psalm 34:18
