Reflections on God and Guns

Increasingly the inescapable conversation happening around many churches (officially or unofficially) is about gun control. I’d just as soon get hit in the head with a ball peen hammer then advocate a certain position. Why? Because I’m not sure what I think. I am torn between Niebuhr and Yoder on this one. In the spirit of full disclosure I must say that I do not own a gun nor do I have any plans on owning a gun. I have shot some shotguns and rifles on a gun range. I have been hunting (came back with nothing). The only heirloom gun I used to own was a BB gun my father had received from his uncle as a child. Yes, I played with toy guns as a kid. I know many who are avid gun owners that I consider brothers in Christ. I am not out to take guns away from those who own guns legally. I am attempting to take a moment and reflect on what I have seen and heard about gun control specifically by Christians. Perhaps it goes without saying yet the politics on this issue seems to be in the control of the most irresponsible and irrational voices on each side. They have littered the field of play with propaganda landmines that no reasonable person dare tread into the public arena. Never-the-less, here are some questions and thoughts that come to MY mind on the subject. You may totally disagree with me. Fine. I am not out to convince anyone that guns are evil, gun owners are evil or that possible gun law changes are the best thing sinced sliced bread. I am just offering up a few observations/reflections in light of being a follower of Christ and seeking to be more Christ-like.

·         As much as I appreciate the US constitution and our form of government, I wonder how the church has any stake in “constitutional freedoms” per se.  Our faith is not dependent on the government and cannot be restrained by government. The church predates the USA by some 1800 years. The church was started by God and will be ended by him not a government. Perhaps we might reflect about the mixing of “constitutional issues” and Kingdom issues. Is it possible that our loyalties found in our baptismal vows (making Jesus our Lord and Savior, dying from an old life and becoming something new in Christ) have become somewhat confused?

·         What does it say about our churches that we seem to be more emotionally invested in issues surrounding gun control? Why is it we seem more bent on believing the conventional wisdom of aggression then the spiritual fruit of kindness and self-control? I’ve seen many Christians behaving in slanderous, fear-baiting, and other unloving ways in the social media over this issue. Nothing wrong with being assertive and stating ones position. Yet, often (it seems to me) both sides of this issue deal more with the fears of this or that then whatever the real issues and concerns might be.

·         To what degree is the cry for gun control just another example of our foolish desire to solve massive cultural illnesses with symbolic legislation which can do nothing but give us an illusion of progress while leaving the larger pathologies of our nation unaddressed? The real issue is our belief that violence is necessary for setting things right in the world. American culture is committed to the myth of the reluctant warrior who tries to avoid conflict before taking weapons in hand to slaughter the bad guys in mass and restore peace and sanity for the common people. That myth is deeply embedded in our collective story and is accepted by many people who say they follow the Prince of Peace, who taught us to love our enemies, and eschewed the sword as an instrument to save the world. This is where the real conversation needs to be focused whether we are just-war or pacifist in our convictions. Our society believes that power and coercion are essential to peace. Those who misuse guns are only living out a commonly held value in a particularly twisted way to accomplish psychotic ends. However, gun violence makes sense to them precisely because this is the solution routinely embraced by the larger culture adapted to their particular dementia.

·         I wonder why we hear so little reflection on the ubiquitous emphasis throughout the Old Testament regarding  not trusting weapons to protect us. The King of Israel was forbidden to multiply horses and chariots. David was commended for destroying the weapons of his conquered enemies. Many a king was condemned by the prophets for believing their safety was in weapons, soldiers, or political alliances. Do we trust God to protect us or must we protect ourselves with instruments of violence? Where does trusting God as our sovereign shield and our defender play into the gun conversation? Seems the prophet Obadiah would have something to say about our obsession with security.

·         Jesus said “I send you out as sheep among the wolves.” (Matthew 10:16) Jesus knew that his followers would face threats to their lives. But nowhere did Jesus teach that his followers should turn into wolves when they run into other scary wolves. Even in Jesus’ own life he freely went to the cross. He was a sheep among wolves but never turned into a wolf. Jesus did not overcome evil by being the reluctant warrior who pulls out weapons and slaughters his enemies in mass. Thus no law passed to restrict gun ownership will end evil or violence done via a gun. Yet, neither will having the right to own a gun somehow stop evil from visiting our lives and world. It would seem that Jesus was modeling and teaching a different way than our conventional wisdom. Jesus said “In this world you will have trouble.” (John 16:33) He follows that up with “But take heart! I have overcome the world.”