Praying

When the Russia-Ukraine war began, I was visiting my dad in Seoul. He was about to have major surgery to remove a tumor from his spine.

I stayed at my sister’s tiny studio. The building was run by a real estate startup desperate to become the next WeWork(before that bubble burst). Inside the elevators, there were announcements about yoga classes and rooftop parties. Half the residents seemed like rich American college kids studying abroad for a semester.

After spending the night at the hospital, I went back to my sister’s place to clean up and rest. As I approached the building, I noticed dozens of colorful posters on the wall. I figured the apartment management had put out some ad, but I couldn’t just walk past its message. Every poster carried the same words in the center: “Pray for Ukraine.”

My immediate thought was, “I bet these people don’t give a shit about the people in Ukraine.” Displaying these posters felt like a sick marketing stunt, a way for the brand to signal that it was doing something for those suffering in the war zone.

Whenever a war, tragedy, or disaster strikes, people print and post “pray for” messages on posters and social media. I get it. I feel helpless when I realize, once again, that the world is a fucked up place. I get angry because a handful of corrupt harabeojis, never held responsible for their crimes against humanity, set the world on fire just to protect their power.

Praying and voting. Too many people, myself included, are stuck with these two notoriously ineffective options for fighting injustice. I want to know if there’s another way. Protesting might be an option, but I’ve never personally seen a protest create meaningful change.