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| “Non-Violence” sculpture by Carl Fredrik Reuterswärd |
I think that we love our guns way too much. We love how they make us feel. We love the power and the sense of superiority that they give us.
We even love how they feel in our hands. There is this sensual, almost phallic nature about guns that secretly seduces us, inexplicably drawing us to them.
We have grown to rely on guns for our protection and as a means of settling disputes that we just can't seem to find other solutions for. And we keep dying because of it. Our children are dying, our neighbors are dying, innocent people are dying. Why?
I wish that there was an easy answer, but there isn't. Shooting people seems to be the easy answer because if talking to those you have a problem with were easy we wouldn't keep seeing news stories about mass shootings.
In the fourth chapter of Apostle Paul's letter the the believers in Ephesus he gives some practical advice about living in community and getting along with others. Here is part of what the Apostle wrote that I feel is a good starting point for getting along with those around us without resorting to violence.
"If you become angry, do not let your anger lead you into sin, and do not stay angry all day...
...Instead, be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ." (Ephesians 4:26 & 32)
Here is a link to an earlier blog post of mine about gun violence: We Have Become a Cult of Death
Peace, Love and Light!
Kevin (Cloud)
