Once again our nation is mourning victims of a mass shooting. Once again, the shooting was at a school, this time a community college in Oregon.
According to news reports, this is the 45th time this year and the 142nd time since the December 14, 2012 Sandy Hook massacre that killed twenty 5 and 6-year-olds, that a gunman has opened fire in a school.
We hear the news and groan, “Not again!” And once again we find ourselves praying for the victims and their families, praying for the shooter, praying for the first responders.
I suggest it is time we also pray for the vision and courage to try to prevent these occurrences. At General Convention, I was one of the Bishops United Against Gun Violence who took part in a prayerful procession of more than 1500 people through the streets of Salt Lake City. The purpose was to “urge people of faith to seek common ground in efforts to curtail gun violence.”
Note that goal: reducing gun violence. This is a goal people of faith can share, no matter where they stand on issues of gun regulation. Ours is a state of many gun owners, the vast majority of whom are responsible people who take sensible precautions with their weapons, whether using them to hunt or for personal security. And yet, the rate of gun violence in our nation is vastly higher than that of any other nation in the world. Why is that? It’s a question Christians are called to contemplate.
That’s why, as we grieve over this latest tragedy, I urge you to contemplate ways you as an individual and ways your congregation might begin to make a difference.
The public witness of the march in Salt Lake City was powerful. Afterward, bishops met to discuss next steps. The group agreed to pursue four distinct areas: advocacy, public witness, education, and communication.
The follow up discussion offered many ideas and suggestions for ways to do this. Our liturgical season offers opportunities for public witness. Gun Violence Sabbath weekend (December 11-13, Advent 2) is an opportunity to pay witness to the toll of gun violence. Bishops at the meeting described congregations that set up a “Memorial to the Lost” by hanging T-shirts on poles outside the church which contain the names and dates of people in the town, city or county whose lives have been taken by gun violence. They then concluded the Sunday service outside with a blessing at the base of the poles.
Good Friday was mentioned as another opportunity for public witness – bishops suggested “carrying out the Stations of the Cross in the neighborhood and connecting the story of Jesus’ violent death with the violence in our communities; at the same time blessing the places with hope and healing – and doing it in partnership with the police department.”
Why do these things? Because Christians can transform lives and inspire commitment with public witness and worship. Using these powerful witnesses toward the goal of reducing gun violence is a worthy one, one that in the end benefits responsible gun owners, and all of us.