Guns and Jesus

And resources for evangelicals and parents

This week was another unimaginable tragedy. Guns are now the leading cause of death for children in America, surpassing other industrialized nations in this statistic by a landslide. And those deaths are increasing while similar countries have seen a decrease.

This is usually the time evangelicals start offering thoughts and prayers and blaming mental illness for the deaths. These have almost become token statements at this point in the Christian world, almost mainstream evangelicalism, like the American flag in sanctuaries or talks about ‘freedom’.

This is not how Jesus defined freedom though, which leads me back to guns.

The problem is thoughts and prayers are not enough. Perhaps especially for those of us who profess Jesus.

Last night, I pulled out my trusty companion when I want to hold my kids a little tighter and spend an evening as a family - food. And, not just any food. I call it the “whatchamacallit” meal where I make whatever we have in the pantry or freezer, and serve it on paper plates.

I use fancy cups to make it feel special. To make them feel special. And, last night we sat and ate and played a game of Uno that would never end. Every once in a while, I’d check with the kids. “How are you doing? Anything you want to talk about from yesterday? Do you need another hug?” Then the game went on, we nibbled more on the food, and I would check in again and again. I mainly wanted two things: For them to feel safe in a world where gun laws and “individual freedoms” are designed to do the opposite.

And, to remind them of Jesus.

In the Good Samaritan story (Luke 10 in the Bible) that has anchored my FNE page for three years, there are two types of people. The ones that stopped and did something. And the ones who walked by, perhaps with prayers or thoughts, but not mercy. Sure, the persons who walked by are still in the Good Samaritan story. It’s just not who Jesus said was the neighbor. That was reserved for the person who did something.

“Who was the neighbor? The one who had mercy. Go and do likewise.” -Jesus (Luke 10:36-37).

This is what we do today. For our children, our neighbors. I have no doubt that gun legislation is fraught with debates and discourse and complexities. I just don’t think it is complicated to Jesus.

Who was the neighbor? Let it be us.

-FNE

PS: Here are some great resources if you want to read more, especially if you’re an evangelical or have children.

1. A great video with Katie Couric on talking with our kids about yesterday from a trusted resource, Sissy Goff. Do you know who she is? She’s an incredible family/child therapist. She also has great resources for helping kids through anxiety in general too.

2. A shorter video with Sissy Goff on how to talk to kids about the tragedy in Nashville. Sissy lives right down the road from the church/school the shooting occurred, and knew people that died that day. Her counseling practice is also offering free counseling sessions for Covenant School families if that pertains to you. You can find more info here.

3. Our friend,

   Your Local Epidemiologist
   wrote a great post about this a few days ago and has written extensively on gun violence from a public health perspective.

4. A great resource on the messy web of Christian nationalism, guns, and the need for stricter guns and legislation, Taylor Schumann wrote a great book called, ‘When Thoughts and Prayers are Not Enough”. She’s been a go-to for me to learn the reality of guns in the US.

5. Dr. Esau McCaulley (Professor at Wheaton College) wrote a heart-breaking and truth-full NYT article yesterday about gun violence and children. He also wrote the book, Reading While Black, which I highly recommend if you’re in the evangelical space.

6. Shannan Martin is also a trusted source for me in this space on being a neighbor. Go read her whole thread.

   

7. This whole thread from ShannonSaysSo