The week鈥檚 gospel text in the Revised Common Lectionary serendipitously comes from Matthew, and contains Jesus鈥� directives to love God and to love our neighbor as yourself. In fact, Jesus says the first is the 鈥済reatest and first鈥� commandment, and the second is 鈥渓ike it.鈥�
Seems crystal clear. So, I struggle with all of my heart, mind and soul to understand our lack of willingness to do anything about America鈥檚 gun epidemic. How, if we are to love our neighbors as much as ourselves, do we idly sit by and watch mass shooting after mass shooting take place? 鈥� And we do nothing?
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This week鈥檚 mass shooting in Lewiston, Maine, which killed at least 18 people in a bowling alley and bar, is the 36th mass killing event so far this year in our country. According to a running list of mass gun killings kept by the Associated Press and USA Today in partnership with Northeastern University, at least 188 people have died from those killings.
The news doesn鈥檛 get better either: We are on pace for a potentially record-setting year, as at this point in the year, the number of mass killings trails only one other year on record. And since the list was started in 2006, we have witnessed 560 mass killings, in which 2,900 people died and 2,000 more were injured.
More than a dozen people lost their lives this week because a man who seemingly suffers mental health issues got his hands on a rapid-firing gun. The thought of it is staggering because this isn鈥檛 an invisible enemy slaughtering our fellow countrymen.
If we truly consider ourselves people of faith, we have to stop looking for excuses to prevent us from action. Jesus鈥� directive doesn鈥檛 allow us to. We are commanded to love our neighbor. And loving our neighbor doesn鈥檛 allow us to get mired down in silly philosophical arguments or allow the buying of our nation鈥檚 elected leaders to ensure nothing gets done.
Should we improve our mental health system to ensure people like the shooter are cared for? Yes, let鈥檚 get it done. Should we improve our nation鈥檚 gun laws so that they are unified and prevent military-style weapons from getting into the hands of civilians. Yes, let鈥檚 get it done.
But, let鈥檚 also do the myriad of other reasonable things on the spectrum that lead us toward fewer gun deaths.
No other nation suffers this level of gun violence. So throwing up our hands and pretending there is nothing we can do is simple cowardice.
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Changing America's obsession with guns will take more factions than just those who consider themselves faithful, but the binding together of tens of millions of faithful people in pursuit of sensible action would give us a powerful cohort that would have to be listened to. 鈥� Even by elected leaders who line their pockets with blood money. Amen.
The Trust Project
