Up in Arms
Let me preface this by saying that even though I may be politically absent (as in, I don’t regularly engage in ongoing political conversations), I am still a Wesleyan who feels the pull to speak truth concerning the cultural turmoil of my country. I’m not really interested at looking at the many maps and stats that keep popping up on Facebook concerning gun ownership per capita, average violent killings per capita, or mass shootings in relation to the rate of gun ownership in a given country. Once is enough. One murder with a gun is more than enough to bring gun-ownership to the front of the conversation. One mass shooting in a school should be enough for us all to pause and reconsider the future progression of our country’s culture. As a gun-owner, here are my thoughts on where the conversations on gun-ownership should lead us.
More guns is not the answer.
I have seen some passing images and comments about the idea of brining more guns into schools. The idea is that we should train and arm our teachers so they might be able to protect their students. While I am in favor of keeping my right to own the guns I have, I dislike the idea of putting more guns in front of children. Part of this is because the numerous horrible “what if’s” far outweigh any positives. To me, it seems illogical to make a place safer by making it easier to access a weapon. The other part of this idea that more guns is not the answer, finds its inspiration from the words of Martin Luther King Jr. who upheld that, “Violence begets violence.” He draws this from Christ’s words, “For all who draw a gun will die by a gun” (Mat 26:52). Okay, he said “sword”, but only because Jesus didn’t know about guns just yet. More guns and more violence, I believe, only help fuel the fire for more guns and more violence. This answer to the problem of gun violence doesn’t actually address the issue of broken cultural values. The "more guns" line is defensive and fearful, not proactive. On the other hand, to say that “love is the answer” even makes my eyes roll, but, there is a nugget of truth to the phrase because whatever action may be taken in order to help bring a real change to our struggling society must be rooted in love (side note – I don’t think you even have to be a Christian to think this!). Real cultural change takes time and is extremely difficult but it can have an incredible impact on our country if we allow it to be fueled by gentleness, kindness, and compassion. This is only possible if we take time to consider who we are first: Americans or Christians.
My identity as a Christian supersedes my identity as a US citizen.
What I mean by this is that my rights as an American are limited by my religious identity. One of many examples includes one of the foundational rights of the United States: the freedom of speech. I have the right to say whatever I might wish to say – even if you find it offensive or wrong. It is my right and I am sticking to it! However, as a Christian, I shouldn’t say whatever I want. You can do a simple word-search online and find any number of passages that speak to the power of words. As a Christian, I am often reminded of the influence I can have on people simply by the words I speak or don’t speak to them. Even more, legally I have the right to purchase and consume as much alcohol as I want. However, as a Christian, I know that I am called to a life of sobriety and self-control. Just because I can do something doesn’t mean I should do it. While these are only a few examples, I believe it stretches to cover other scenarios in which my Christian identity redefines the extent in which I express my individual rights. Now I am not saying that Christians shouldn’t have guns because obviously Peter had a sword when Jesus told him to put it away. I am still unsure whether the Bible actually speaks to owning weapons, but I do believe it has something to say about violence. Instead of being violent, we should be peaceful. Instead of being aggressive, we should be gentle. The transition into these characteristics comes through patience and prayer.
Christians should arm themselves…with the Sword.
The book of Ephesians is a wonderful book that reminds us of our unity in Christ and the impact we each can have in the midst of darkness. Paul reminds his readers to walk. He tells them both to “walk in the manner worthy of the calling you have received,” to “walk in love,” and to “walk as children of light” (4:1; 5:2, 8b). All this walking can be hard at times because life is long and tiresome! Even more, there are many enemies along the path. What defense is there for us? Paul commends us to put on the full armor of God (Eph 6:10-20). Part of this armor is our one offensive weapon – the Sword. What we have to understand is that this weapon is not used to wield against other people, slashing them down on our walk through life. Instead, this Sword is what we use to attack the enemy. The Word of God, real truth tied with the prayers of our hearts, is the weapon each of us should carry. The way this connects to the gun ownership discussion is this – what enemy is greater, more consistent, and more dangerous? The one day, possible gunman or the ever-present master of temptation, Satan? Why arm yourself against an enemy that may never come around and not arm yourself against a very real enemy? I am not saying you shouldn’t carry a gun or shouldn’t have a gun, but perhaps we all need to pick up the Sword God has given us a little more often than we have been doing. For if we did, how much of an impact could we have in our world with a united Christendom wielding the Word of Life and prayer?