On Gun Violence and Faith

4 He will judge between the nations
    and will settle disputes for many peoples.
They will beat their swords into plowshares
    and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will not take up sword against nation,
    nor will they train for war anymore. – Isaiah 2:4

Our nation is mourning. Gun violence has continued to pervade our culture in a way that leaves us hopeless. It has gotten to the despairing point of rejecting the standard “prayers and condolences” sentiment, and instead is replaced with questions, anger, and helplessness. While I feel completely unprepared to speak on such a divisive issue like gun violence, I feel I must try. I share my thoughts with hesitation only because I fear others will take my words as God’s, which they are definitely not. These are simply what I believe God’s conviction to be within my own soul.

As a believer I am never allowed to look blindly at suffering or the affliction of those around me. Guns are a theological issue because the violence they cause ring within the depths of our depravity. Violence is anti-Gospel and if we are to take our faith seriously, we must have the courage to handle such matters with integrity and Truth. It is in how we handle times and controversy as these that prove our faith to be real. Perhaps it is time to start a conversation in our churches that many fear. While we are not to be driven by every passing issue in culture, such issues that can be used to promote the dismissal of human life must be dealt with in humble boldness. We are to die to ourselves daily and this means dying to our preference and to the entrenched American values we cling tightly to that oppose our faith.

This is not politicizing a tragedy, but attempting to bring a small bit of redemption within the tears. In every other tragic context, there is a call to find the problem and an attempt to make sure it doesn’t happen again. Yet in this issue, we are afraid to do so. We disregard the fact that guns are used in nearly 20,000 suicides a year and are the leading avenue used for such a destructive act. We can also overlook that accidental shootings continue to take lives of those untrained or too young to know the devastation they can cause. The issue of gun control is not simply a freedom to protect our families. It is more than “a good guy with a gun beats a bad guy with a gun” mentality.

Honestly, I am at a loss on this topic and I understand aspects of those afraid of losing their right to bear arms. I do however feel like there is something inherently wrong with a society that can purchase such tools of destruction next to the same aisle where you buy toys and groceries. If you are a believer, it is time to give serious thought about this issue. The world is watching and already believes our love of firearms is greater than our love of Jesus. The time for respectful dialogue is now. May the God of peace direct our hearts.