Another mass shooting has occurred; this time in a church
during worship. 26 people are dead,
ranging in age from 18 months to 77 years.
Oh sure, you and I probably don’t know any of the victims and more than
likely would never have met them. They
lived in a different region of the country and belonged to a denomination much
different from ours. But I can imagine that many of them came to church like
you and me, wondering how long the service would be; hoping the sermon wouldn’t
be too much of a “snoozer”; looking forward to connecting with friends; hoping
they would get home in time to see the opening kickoff of a Sunday afternoon
football game. But that didn’t
happen. This past Sunday morning the
hallowed ground of a church became a killing field and still there can be no
meaningful conversations on guns and those who must not have them.
I’m tired of politicians and their hollow rhetoric of
“thoughts and prayers”. Sorry but that
no longer cuts it. Leave the prayers to
those who lead worship in our churches, synagogues, and mosques. Leave the prayers to those who gather in
those communities or at prayer vigils or who pray as Jesus puts it, “in
secret”. The term “thoughts and
prayers” has become a cliché. “Thoughts
and prayers” are code for: “I lack the courage and conviction to stand up to
special interests who fund my election campaigns.” “Thoughts and prayers” are the priest and the
Levite crossing to the other side of the road when faced with the reality of a
man lying in a ditch, robbed and beaten. (Luke 10:30-32).
Polls show that a vast majority of Americans support the
idea of background checks before guns can be purchased and yet lawmakers
continue to blow smoke by claiming that this is no time to talk about such
things; that to speak of gun control in the face of mass shootings is to
politicize tragedy. The only ones
politicizing tragedy are those whose jobs depend upon funding from special
interest groups intent on selling more guns.
My outrage and tears have little to do with the gun industry
and those who support it. My heart
breaks because each and every victim was fashioned in the image of God and
Jesus told us that what we do to each other, we do to God. My heart breaks because this past Sunday
families were forever scarred and irreparably torn apart. My heart breaks because mass shootings like
this don’t have to happen and yet they do with chilling regularity.
Gun deaths are at epidemic levels, and yet those whom we’ve
entrusted with the responsibility of governing and protecting us are not doing
their jobs, instead they feed us nutrition-less platitudes of “thoughts and
prayers”. They claim to be protecting
our 2nd Amendment Rights to bear arms, all the while neglecting that
uniquely American creed; “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness;” A creed that no longer applies to Sunday’s
victims, as well as those in Las Vegas, Orlando, Washington, Charleston, Newtown
and countless other places where military-grade weapons are readily available
and easily attainable.
Where do we go from here?
Perhaps our Episcopal sisters and brothers can shed some light for us. In response to the epidemic of gun violence,
a group of more than 70 Episcopal Bishops offers the following statement
calling for prayer and action:
In prayer, Christians
commend the souls of the faithful departed to the mercy and love of God. We beseech our Creator to comfort the
grieving and shield the vulnerable.
Prayer is not an offering of vague good wishes…in prayer we examine our
own hearts and our own deeds to determine whether we are complicit in the evils
we deplore. And if we are, we resolve to
take action; we resolve to amend our lives...
As a nation, we must
acknowledge that we idolize gun violence, and we must make amends. Violence of all kinds denigrates humankind;
it stands against the will of God and the way of Jesus the Christ… Each of us
has a role to play in our repentance.
Elected representatives bear the responsibility of passing legislation
that protects our citizenry. If our
representatives are not up to this responsibility, we must replace them… one
does not offer prayers in lieu of demonstrating political courage but rather in
preparation. (Bishops United
Against Gun Violence).
Peace,
Pastor Doug
