“In all their troubles, he was troubled, too” (Is. 63:9).
Different Decade, Same Spirit
“The work of the prophets in ancient Israel was to deliver a truth-telling, hope-evoking word in a society that wanted neither the truth that was too hard to bear nor hope that was impossible to entertain.” —Walter Brueggemann, Tenacious Solidarity, Biblical Provocations on Race, Religion, Climate, and the Economy
In part 1, I shared my thoughts. The topic was the tragic shooting at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas several weeks ago. Twenty-one innocent children and two teachers died. Guns are deeply ingrained in American society and the nation’s political debates. The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution gives Americans the right to bear arms, and about a third of U.S. adults say they personally own a gun.
I can’t understand how some Americans tolerate the chronic carnage of deaths and injuries from gunfire. This group includes politicians and conservative evangelical Christians. This is particularly worrying among our children. This tolerance is unimaginable, especially after some of the deadliest school shootings in recent history. These include Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, in 2007, where 32 people were killed, and dozens were injured. Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012 killed 26 people, including 20 first-graders and six adult school staff members. Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018, where 17 were killed and 17 were injured. At Santa Fe High School in Texas, 10 people were killed, and 14 were injured. These are atrocities that cannot continue to be ignored or dismissed with thoughts and prayers. While it is within our God-given right and power as a nation we can do something.
In 2021, President Joe Biden and other policymakers proposed new restrictions on firearm access. They aimed to tackle gun violence ranging from rising murder rates in some major cities to mass shootings. Pew Research Center identified some key findings about Americans’ attitudes. These findings concern gun violence, gun policy, and other subjects. They were drawn from recent surveys by Pew Research Center and Gallup.1
Below are some of those findings:
- Four-in-ten U.S. adults say they live in a household with a gun, including 30% who say they personally own one.
- Personal protection tops the list of reasons why gun owners say they own a firearm.
- Around half of Americans (48%) see gun violence as a very big problem in the country today.
- Attitudes about gun violence differ widely by race, ethnicity, party and community type.
- Roughly half of Americans (53%) favor stricter gun laws, a decline since 2019.
- Americans are divided over whether restricting legal gun ownership would lead to fewer mass shootings.
- There is broad partisan agreement on some gun policy proposals, but most are politically divisive.
- Gun ownership is closely linked with views on gun policies. This holds true even among gun owners within the same political party. It is also true for non-owners, according to the April 2021 Center survey.
- Americans in rural areas typically favor more expansive gun access, while Americans in urban places prefer more restrictive policies.
I’m not against gun ownership. It behooves me why anyone needs an AR-15 rifle, the mass shooter’s weapon of choice. What fascinates me the most is that there are horrific deaths due to gun violence. Yet, some people value gun ownership rights more. They seem to place greater importance on these rights than on the innocent lives lost to gun violence.
I continue to refer back to President George Washington’s prophetic warning in his farewell speech. He offered his advice to the citizens of the United States. His key points were to warn Americans against the danger of political parties. He advised them to stay neutral in foreign conflicts. Washington also encouraged them to celebrate their achievements. Washington warned the American people against the negative impact that opposing political parties can have on the country.
During his presidency, he observed the rise of the Democratic-Republican party. It opposed the Federalists. He worried that future political squabbles would undermine popular sovereignty in the United States. He specifically stated, However [political parties] now and then answer popular ends. They are in the course of time and things to become potent engines. Cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will use them to subvert the power of the people. They will seize for themselves the reins of government. Afterwards, they will destroy the very engines which have lifted them to unjust dominion.2
How does this show on the inability of lawmakers to past gun laws? I’ve been pondering and searching for greater understanding of this for future posts.
The change that’s needed to began to tackle many of society’s ills is a heart change. God holds every government leader accountable for their actions or inaction.
“‘Where in God’s name is our backbone?’ ”
President Joe Biden
Stop electing lawmakers who are unqualified, unethical, and unrighteous. Their only goal is to wreak havoc on democracy under the pretense of saving the country. Some honor God with their mouths, but their hearts are far from Him. Isaiah 29 says “Then the Lord said, “Because this nation approaches [Me only] with their words And honors Me [only] with their lip service, But they remove their hearts far from Me, And their reverence for Me is a tradition that is learned by rote [without any regard for its meaning], Therefore, listen carefully, I will again do marvelous and amazing things with this people, wonderful and astonishing things; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, And the understanding of their discerning men will be hidden” (Isa. 29:13-14 AMP).
“Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the resident alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place” (Jer. 22:3).
Pray for spiritual awakening in America and abroad!
Minister A. Francine Green
Notes: All scripture references are taken from the New American Standard Bible unless otherwise noted.
- Schaeffer, Katherine. Key facts about Americans and guns.Pewresearch.org. 13 Sept 2021. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/13/key-facts-about-americans-and-guns/. Accessed 18 June 2022
- Pruitt, Sarah. George Washington Warned Against Political Infighting in His Farewell Address. History.com. 18 Feb. 2020. https://www.history.com/news/george-washington-farewell-address-warnings. Accessed 16 May 2022.
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