29 Mar A Call to End Gun Violence

The prophet Micah describes a vision for peace with compelling details: then, we will sit under our vines and fig trees, unafraid. We will know security and taste its sweetness. In preparation for that hopeful moment, the people of the world will “beat swords into plowshares and spears into pruning hooks” (Micah 4:3). Then, the nations of the world will stop learning war.

I’m struck by the dissonance between this vision of peace and our present moment, as I sit with the heart-wrenching news of another school shooting, this time in Nashville, Tennessee. I feel desolate, and angry, and worn down at our apparent unwillingness to change policies and practices that would reduce gun violence in our nation. I cannot understand why we will not take action to protect the safety of our schoolchildren.

Micah’s vision, after all, required the participation of the people: it was the people who beat those weapons into farming tools. It was the nations who choose to dismantle the arms.

Our United Methodist Church has articulated a theology that requires us to stand against gun violence: “Whether it happens in the towns of northeastern Nigeria, a suburb in the United States, the streets of Australia, or an office in France, gun violence has become an all-too-often frightening phenomenon. We need the reality of Micah’s vision [of peace] more than ever.” (“Our Call to End Gun Violence,” 2016 Book of Resolutions, #3428)

As Christians, we are called to pray and lament with those who mourn, and we are called to speak up for laws to prevent or reduce gun violence. Along with many organizations that are working for reform, I encourage you to use your voice as a person of faith to speak up and speak out. One easy way is to use this online tool to send a letter to elected officials to advocate for change.

As we prepare to celebrate Palm Sunday this weekend, we are reminded by the stories of Holy Week of the depth and strength of Christ’s call to love; our God engages the world not with fear, but with courageous compassion. As we move into this meaningful time, may we bring commitment to action for the sake of peace.

grace and peace,
Pastor Molly