Sermon for June 2, 2019

Gun Violence: A Meditation

Twelve people were killed and four injured when a longtime city-government employee opened fire on his co-workers at a municipal building in Virginia Beach, Virginia, on Friday — the deadliest mass shooting in the U.S. this year. America’s latest mass-shooting massacre began a little after 4 p.m. on Friday at one of the buildings that make up the Municipal Center in Virginia Beach. The gunman, a 40-year-old municipal employee, came armed with two .45-caliber handguns, at least one of which he had equipped with a sound suppressor, and extended-capacity magazines. Yet again, we are waking up to realize how gun violence affects us all.

We are a nation at war with ourselves. Every day, 100 Americans are killed with guns and hundreds more are shot and injured. The effects of gun violence extend far beyond these casualties—gun violence shapes the lives of millions of Americans who witness it, know someone who was shot, or live in fear of the next shooting. Nearly two-thirds of gun deaths are suicides. As with all wars, children are the most innocent victims. Firearms are the second leading cause of death for American children and teens and the first leading cause of death for Black children and teens. Nearly 1,700 children and teens die by gun homicide every year.

For those who are waiting for a political solution to this war, we know it’s not going to happen soon, if at all. What has been Congress’ response to this unrelenting loss of life? Congress has failed to pass any meaningful gun control measures. Under the pretext of protecting the rights of gunowners, politicians allow the firearm industry to be largely unregulated. When our Congressional representatives ignore human suffering to do the bidding of the gun lobby in exchange for campaign dollars, they are making an idol of the gun.

It’s not just Congress. What poverty of spirit causes American to so glorify our guns – in movies, on television, in video games, on the streets of our neighborhoods? We must expose the half-truth of “Guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” Guns do kill people. Guns kill our children with devastating regularity in this country. Guns kill our neighbors. Guns kill co-workers. Gun kill.

Over the years, we have come to accept guns as part of life. But there’s a difference between a sporting and hunting culture – where the use of guns is limited, licensed and regulated – and a gun culture, where the distribution of weapons of mass murder can be bought, sold, and traded with little oversight, with patchwork regulation, and with an over-riding fear that we will be accused of somehow violating the rights of citizens when we ask common-sense to prevail.

Since gun violence won’t be solved politically, there must be other ways to fight this war. Gun violence must become a faith issue. The greatest commandment says we are to love God. The second greatest commandment says we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Can we truly love and trusts God or do we love and trust our guns? Why are people of faith and conscience not protecting the sacred trust of children’s lives as vehemently as Congress protects the gun lobby? How can we stretch our arms wide towards God’s goodness when one hand is grasping a gun? How can we depend only on God when next to our hearts we’re wearing a weapon? As people of faith we must stand witness to the destructive power of gun violence. We must say we will rely not on guns, but on God. We will affirm not guns, but life. We will bless not guns, but our common humanity. We must hold up a higher value saying that our children’s lives are a sacred trust and that human life is more important any gun.

For those among us whom gun violence is a policy issue, may God grant you light and wisdom, and help us all to support your efforts

For those among us whom gun violence is a real and present danger, may God grant you sheltering presence, and help us all to understand and address this burden.

For those among us who are healers and others who deal directly with the aftermath of gun violence, may God grant the responders strength in turmoil, and help us all to support their work

For those among us who mourn victims of gun violence, may God grant the mourners comfort, and help us all to better support them in their grief and cries for justice

For those among us who have experienced gun violence, may God grant healing to the shattered, and help us all to recognize the trauma and its cost

God. keep us ever aware of the wonder of humanity and of threats to the sanctity of human life. Teach us to recognize the effect of gun violence on so many of our nation’s children. May we never be lazy in the work of peace or complacent in our relative safety. May we honor those who have died in defense of our ideals. And may we acknowledge threats, some of our own making, to those ideals. Grant our leaders wisdom and forbearance. May they govern with justice, compassion and clear knowledge of the cost of gun violence. Shine your wisdom through the gloom. Heal us and our local, national and global communities. Lead us toward homes free of affliction and strife, bodies and spirits free of gun violence. Help us to be the change we hope to see. Soon and in our lifetimes.

If you want to learn more and get involved, here are two opportunities:

1.     Today, Bob Tiller will be one of the presenters at an event called Gun Violence: The Public Health Impact. It’s from 2-4 at Riderwood in the Celebrations Room at Town Center. You can talk to Bob after worship about the details.

2.     In the bulletin, you will see an event next Saturday at 10 AM: Disarm Hate Unity Walk and Block Party. It will take place at the Downtown Silver Spring Civic Center Pavilion. If you are interested in representing CCC at an interfaith table, making signs, or being part of the event, please let me know.

Today, I’ve handed out some orange hearts as you came in the door. I invite you to take a moment to write the names of those you are thinking of today who are affected by gun violence, the names of those for whom we pray protection, the names of our children who deal with this in their schools every week, the names of the dead and their families who mourn. During communion, I will invite you to bring your hearts forward and attach them to the easels in the front of the sanctuary and we will hold these names together in prayer.