Even though I don’t want to, some rambling about guns in church:
- My #1 concern in this discussion: PLEASE don’t let the enemy use tragedy to divide.
- Yes, well meaning believers see the issue of guns in church in different ways.
- PLEASE seek understanding instead of division.
- PLEASE pray as church leadership across the country will increasingly ask how they would plan to respond.
- And PLEASE express sympathy and care before you jump into issues of security. To do otherwise is a horrible look.
- Of course I lead a church and our church does and will, like many others, consider and develop plans of response. My goal with this post is not to determine church policy.
- My concerns today have to do with understanding others who see things differently than we do.
- Question: Am I prepared to love and minister with someone who sees the issue completely differently than I do? More questions…
- What role does prayer have compared to the role of a weapon?
- What weight do Jesus’ words regarding loving our enemies or turning our cheek carry compared to our desire to protect people?
- Do we take into account the soul of the attacker?
- How do we as believers think about mental illness and dealing with individuals struggling with mental problems?
- Are we willing to take an honest look at risk, all possible factors, including even the unknown that accompanies having armed personnel?