By Eric Blauer
“Should we allow guns in our Church building?”
That was on of the questions that was posed at our last Church Management Board Meeting.
We had an incident that involved an escalation of verbal and physical actions out front of our Sunday service. This situation resulted in us examining our security and threat response policies. We discussed the concealed weapons issue, the pro/con thoughts about ‘gun free’ signs, statements etc, we didn’t come to a consensus.
Our meeting seems even more critical in light of the murders of the nine members of Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C, on June 17, 2015. A gunman opened fire that day at the historic African-American church after attending a midweek Bible study.
As a pastor, I’ve been burdened with racial tensions, struggles and stalemate attempts at substantive unity and reconciliation. The ecclesiastical approach usually falls to meetings, services and prayer but most often fails to extend to much change beyond attendance. The realities of racial reconciliation are stark.
In The U.S:
•8.5 out of 10 churches are divided across racial lines.
•Churches are 10 times more segregated than the surrounding neighborhood of its building.
•Churches are 20 times more segregated than the neighborhood school of the church building’s location. [Source: http://arrabon.com]
But those Charleston Christians chose to live their faith in the spirit of Christ-like hospitality in spite of the stats, injustice, news events and evil history we all know and witness these days. They welcomed the stranger into their midst and that resulted in their death. That posture towards oppressors, towards evil, is at the heart of the biblical Gospel. To be willing to live, worship and work towards a community that is based on love, compassion and justice. They modeled the dream of eden and yet encountered the cross of Golgotha yet again. But their testimony will sound across the land, giving fresh vision and determination to others committed to the way of Jesus.
Their example, sacrifice rekindles in me and others, the flame of radical reconciliation. A belief that death cannot overcome life. That what is slain…survives, revives and remakes the world in faith, hope and love. These tragic events scatter seeds of renewal wherever their story is told and evil is overcome with good.
I met with another pastor friend this week and we unburdened our hearts with one another, we talked deep about the issues we face today regarding these matters. We grieved, despaired, wept and we prayed.
This is the prayer I have chosen to pray:
Lord, make me an instrument of Thy peace;
where there is hatred, let me sow love;
where there is injury, pardon;
where there is doubt, faith;
where there is despair, hope;
where there is darkness, light;
and where there is sadness, joy.
O Divine Master,
grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;
to be understood, as to understand;
to be loved, as to love;
for it is in giving that we receive,
it is in pardoning that we are pardoned,
and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life.
Amen.
-St. Francis of Assisi – 13th century
