“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength…”
Isaiah 40:30-31)
It's been almost two weeks since the Orlando nightclub massacre.
Has it set in yet?
Another mass shooting has occurred.
ANOTHER. MASS. SHOOTING.
Even before I can really type another word, I know that people have already set their opinions about this topic. Whatever beliefs you hold, please allow me to share a bit with you.
I’m tired.
I’m tired of turning on my television or my phone to see headlines of “BREAKING NEWS” or “CRISIS” or “EMERGENCY” – having to read or hear about yet ANOTHER act of violence. There has been a mass shooting (defined as 4 or more victims) nearly EVERY DAY for the last 3 years. We are quick to change our profile picture or type out a hashtag, but yet we seem to have grown numb to these occurrences.
I’m weary.
I’m weary of our American obsession with force, power, and control. The United States makes up about 4.5% of the world’s population, yet we hold 50% of the world’s civilian-owned guns. If you rank countries based upon their military budget, our federal government spends more on military weaponry then the next 26 other countries combined (most of whom are allies). We are obsessed with flexing muscles, stomping our feet, and holding tightly to our weapons…and it is exhausting.
At this point, some will already argue: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Perhaps in a way this is true, but the fact is, people carrying guns shoot people. Sometimes they shoot themselves. The higher the concentration of guns, the greater the bloodshed. Those who live by the sword die by the sword.
This is why I am drawn to Jesus Christ. In the midst of my tired and weary state, I find HOPE.
Jesus Christ walked the earth in the midst of a massive military and political superpower – the Roman Empire. The people of Israel were craving freedom – physically and spiritually. Many religious leaders, the people meant to be the proclaimers of God’s transformational truth, had become corrupted by the same thirst for power and control that has fueled empires throughout history (and today). If there was ever a reason to roll up your sleeves and put your boot (or sword, or gun, or drone) to someone, Jesus would have a reason. Things were broken, and someone needed to pay.
Jesus had his own message of a kingdom – but THIS kingdom didn’t come through force, power, and violent control. The “Kingdom of God” (a phrase common in Jesus’ day to mean GOD himself) came through GRACE, LOVE, and FAITH. This message of a different kingdom – a kingdom “not of this world” – was one of the things that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Those in authority felt their message was being challenged, and they used force and power to keep control.
The image of THE CROSS – a symbol of violence – was TRANSFORMED by Jesus to become a symbol of hope. The CROSS is a reminder of God’s ability to move beyond our brokenness and bring LIFE out of death. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was (and is) God interrupting the cycle of death and destruction to reveal his life, his power, and his love. RESURRECTION is God’s continuing act of bringing NEW LIFE in the midst of physical, emotional, and spiritual DEATH.
The Prince of Peace didn’t need to carry a weapon.
ANOTHER. MASS. SHOOTING.
Even before I can really type another word, I know that people have already set their opinions about this topic. Whatever beliefs you hold, please allow me to share a bit with you.
I’m tired.
I’m tired of turning on my television or my phone to see headlines of “BREAKING NEWS” or “CRISIS” or “EMERGENCY” – having to read or hear about yet ANOTHER act of violence. There has been a mass shooting (defined as 4 or more victims) nearly EVERY DAY for the last 3 years. We are quick to change our profile picture or type out a hashtag, but yet we seem to have grown numb to these occurrences.
I’m weary.
I’m weary of our American obsession with force, power, and control. The United States makes up about 4.5% of the world’s population, yet we hold 50% of the world’s civilian-owned guns. If you rank countries based upon their military budget, our federal government spends more on military weaponry then the next 26 other countries combined (most of whom are allies). We are obsessed with flexing muscles, stomping our feet, and holding tightly to our weapons…and it is exhausting.
At this point, some will already argue: “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Perhaps in a way this is true, but the fact is, people carrying guns shoot people. Sometimes they shoot themselves. The higher the concentration of guns, the greater the bloodshed. Those who live by the sword die by the sword.
This is why I am drawn to Jesus Christ. In the midst of my tired and weary state, I find HOPE.
Jesus Christ walked the earth in the midst of a massive military and political superpower – the Roman Empire. The people of Israel were craving freedom – physically and spiritually. Many religious leaders, the people meant to be the proclaimers of God’s transformational truth, had become corrupted by the same thirst for power and control that has fueled empires throughout history (and today). If there was ever a reason to roll up your sleeves and put your boot (or sword, or gun, or drone) to someone, Jesus would have a reason. Things were broken, and someone needed to pay.
Jesus had his own message of a kingdom – but THIS kingdom didn’t come through force, power, and violent control. The “Kingdom of God” (a phrase common in Jesus’ day to mean GOD himself) came through GRACE, LOVE, and FAITH. This message of a different kingdom – a kingdom “not of this world” – was one of the things that led to Jesus’ crucifixion. Those in authority felt their message was being challenged, and they used force and power to keep control.
The image of THE CROSS – a symbol of violence – was TRANSFORMED by Jesus to become a symbol of hope. The CROSS is a reminder of God’s ability to move beyond our brokenness and bring LIFE out of death. The death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was (and is) God interrupting the cycle of death and destruction to reveal his life, his power, and his love. RESURRECTION is God’s continuing act of bringing NEW LIFE in the midst of physical, emotional, and spiritual DEATH.
The Prince of Peace didn’t need to carry a weapon.
The King of Kings carried LOVE.
Throughout history, Christians have forgotten this message. Christians have taken up the “swords” of Rome from time to time, and it has never gone well. We must REPENT of this. Christian history is also FULL of people who took God seriously and literally beat their swords into plows.
Let me interrupt my writing here with an important truth: I stand by the Constitution of the United States. I support the Second Amendment. I believe you have the right to own a gun – or perhaps many guns which would necessitate owning a gun rack – for protection, for sport, or for any other reason. Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD always do it. Something can be allowed and still not always be beneficial (the Apostle Paul has a lot to say about that). I’m also not talking about taking away guns from law-abiding citizens or adopting PACIFISM as our nation’s official policy for international relations...we, however, can talk about the rest of that at another time.
What am I talking about now?
I am talking about INDIVIDUALS.
I am talking about our HEARTS.
We have a problem in our world. We have a SPIRITUAL problem.
Throughout history, Christians have forgotten this message. Christians have taken up the “swords” of Rome from time to time, and it has never gone well. We must REPENT of this. Christian history is also FULL of people who took God seriously and literally beat their swords into plows.
Let me interrupt my writing here with an important truth: I stand by the Constitution of the United States. I support the Second Amendment. I believe you have the right to own a gun – or perhaps many guns which would necessitate owning a gun rack – for protection, for sport, or for any other reason. Just because you CAN do something, doesn’t mean you SHOULD always do it. Something can be allowed and still not always be beneficial (the Apostle Paul has a lot to say about that). I’m also not talking about taking away guns from law-abiding citizens or adopting PACIFISM as our nation’s official policy for international relations...we, however, can talk about the rest of that at another time.
What am I talking about now?
I am talking about INDIVIDUALS.
I am talking about our HEARTS.
We have a problem in our world. We have a SPIRITUAL problem.
People are broken and in need of a Savior.
People are tired and weary and they crave renewed strength.
As the Bible reminds us, all creation is “groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time.”
Groaning for hope.
Groaning for rescue.
Groaning for healing.
Yet we have another problem in our world. We have a VIOLENCE problem. The swords and spears of the Roman empire have been replaced by flying robots and automatic weapons, but the problem is still the same. Day after day we attempt to renew our strength through force, power, and control.
But listen again to the words of the prophet Isaiah:
I don’t know about you, but I am tired and weary. I have grown tired of death; I am increasingly weary of trying to explain these events to our children; I am exhausted by political conversations that go nowhere – and I know that the ONLY WAY to find renewed strength is through the HOPE of JESUS CHRIST. I don’t want to pretend to be an expert in all of this. I’m just one person, in the midst of an empire, who sees that what we’re doing isn’t working.
We don’t need more guns.
Yet we have another problem in our world. We have a VIOLENCE problem. The swords and spears of the Roman empire have been replaced by flying robots and automatic weapons, but the problem is still the same. Day after day we attempt to renew our strength through force, power, and control.
But listen again to the words of the prophet Isaiah:
“Those who HOPE IN THE LORD will renew their strength…”
I don’t know about you, but I am tired and weary. I have grown tired of death; I am increasingly weary of trying to explain these events to our children; I am exhausted by political conversations that go nowhere – and I know that the ONLY WAY to find renewed strength is through the HOPE of JESUS CHRIST. I don’t want to pretend to be an expert in all of this. I’m just one person, in the midst of an empire, who sees that what we’re doing isn’t working.
We don’t need more guns.
We need RESURRECTION.
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