Like many of you this week, my news feed is overwhelmed with the tragedy in Texas, as twenty-one people died at the hands of a mass shooter (https://cnn.it/3yUYCa4). My emotions were at “high-tide” as my own son boarded the bus this morning to go to school, and as I contemplate what his future in America will look like when he has kids.

Yes, I am in support of limiting access to firearms that cause quick, easy, and massive damage. If the only weapon available is a musket, chances are only one or two shots will be fired rather than an automatic weapon that can fire many shots in under one second. The second amendment (https://bit.ly/3lKnd9U) granting the right to bear arms speaks to a wellregulated militia, and I think we should regulate it very well. And soon. And yet that feels to me like putting a bandaid on a problem that is more akin to a serious infection than a superficial wound. There is something deeper here; something that policies and laws will have a hard time mending. The weapons available to a would-be-shooter can (and should) be limited and the possible damage limited, but the growing number of citizens who desire and choose to kill kids at school is a uniquely American problem.

I grew up in a loving household that had and has many firearms in it; this is common in the South where the guns’ primary purpose had nothing to do with harming other people. Ask me about the time I pointed a BB gun at my brother, and I will tell you the lesson I learned about gun safety! Guns are for hunting; I grew up eating wild venison and pork, saving us money at the grocery store. Firearms were useful in defending oneself from poisonous snakes, rabid animals, and even scaring off an aggressive dog that had attacked our own pet. And when you are miles from the nearest first responder, having a firearm to protect you from a possible human threat is a reasonable precaution, knowing a 911 call cannot arrive in time. I have also enjoyed skeet and target shooting with family and friends.

Honestly, I long for a conversation in this country that is not simply about firearm regulation, although that can be a start, but also one that can ask the harder question of “Why?.” I suppose my deepest yearning would be to become a country that does not produce mass murderers. How can we improve the lives of families at home so there is a loving environment? How can we improve the culture of our kids so that all kids are supported when they need it? This young adult had nothing left to live for, nothing left to hope for, was connected to nothing bigger than himself; he only had his anger. What would we need to do to change the fabric and culture of our country so that even with guns available (or knives, or bombs, or bayonets), no one would want to kill 21 people in a school?

I wish I knew, I desperately wish I knew, for my own kids’ sake. Violence in mass shootings is not the only violence that is constantly spread in our country either. Our national conversation that takes place online, in forums, election coverage, school board meetings, and through sensational media outlets, only highlights our love of violence long before a firearm is a part of it. Outrage and disgust are a part of the daily buffet of information and interaction. Even Christianity must repent of its love of violence and empire, and its contribution to our current situation. This atmosphere of emotional violence will continue to create people who feel they have nothing left, and turn to violent action.

I firmly believe that a church can be a huge part of the local solution- it certainly was for me growing up. It can be the one place a child has for love and support even if all of the other ones falter. In addition to advocating for reasonable gun laws, I believe my primary focus will remain on creating a space that every adult and child can be a part of a community where they are loved and connected, both to God and to others. I am most invested in creating a church that teaches and lives a faith where both our selves and others are known to be beloved children of God. Our disagreements and differences are then approached from a common point of being beloved, and sharing love. People of faith are a part of a much bigger plan that is working its way out; God’s Kingdom is breaking through, and it is larger than any difference we have. It can heal hurts, bring people into being loved, and shape us into loving and empathetic followers of Jesus. Let’s live our faith, and make our faith alive.

In the name of the Prince of Peace,

Jesse+

PS- I found this poem particularly moving, and I want to share it with you.

"America Is A Gun”

England is a cup of tea.

France, a wheel of ripened brie.

Greece, a short, squat olive tree.

America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.

Argentina, Maradona's hand.

Germany, an oompah band.

America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.

Hungary, a goulash stew.

Australia, a kangaroo.

America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.

Scotland is a highland fling.

Oh, better to be anything

than America as a gun.” —Brian Bilston, https://bit.ly/3Ggzbl3