For What It's Worth : How to Debate the Gun Issue

For What It's Worth : How to Debate the Gun Issue: There is a belief among Christians that we are in this world but are not of this world. It is firmly grounded in our Scriptures.  ...

How to Debate the Gun Issue

There is a belief among Christians that we are in this world but are not of this world. It is firmly grounded in our Scriptures.

 Check out John 17:14-15 and Romans 12:1-2.

Growing up in the Evangelical tradition I was taught that not being of this world meant not consuming alcohol, not using tobacco products, not dancing, not playing Bingo (gambling) at the local carnival, and not dining in restaurants that served alcohol. The list was longer but you get the point.

The lines between being in the world and not of the world seemed pretty clear to me—or so I thought.

But then life happens in broader and more complex ways. Black and white approaches to complex issues begin turning grey and the lines that once clearly separated my being in the world from my being of the world began to blur.

This past week our country experienced another tragic domestic terrorist attack (do we call it that?) in which some 58 (maybe more) innocent people died and countless others were wounded by a gunman using automatic weapons to create his field of fire. 

Let there be no doubt abut it: This senseless act was Evil personified.

As usual the Social Media was aglow with the same old tired debates and inflammatory rhetoric between gun/Second Amendment advocates and those pushing for gun laws reform.

Folks will continue debating as they have in the past and chances are nothing will be accomplished other than the usual societal reset as it anticipates the next senseless massacre— and make no mistake about it, it will happen. It’s not a matter of if but when and how many innocent people will be injured or killed.

“Should we Christians engage our world in this debate?” which is the way of asking: “Should we take sides?” 

Perhaps we should ask: “How are we to engage our world in this debate?”

“How shall we frame the issue in compliance with the Gospel?” would be an even better question.

In his letter to the Roman Christians Paul offers a clue to how we might engage our world:

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect” (italics mine).

Should Christians engage the world by participating in the so-called gun debate? 

Absolutely,  but with transformed thinking rather than conformed thinking. Conformed thinking is the way the world thinks. Transformed thinking is the by-product of the Gospel.

The values that frame this debate must find their origin in the Gospel rather than in the world. Participating in endless debates based on the world’s logic (or political affiliation) gets us nowhere and creates a pervasive sense of hopelessness. (not to mention it angers a lot of people). 

For the Christian, using arguments that are based on the world’s systemic logic is fruitless and leads one down dead end street. This is why I have never successfully won a debate over the gun issue by using confirmed thinking as my platform for debate.

But when I rely on transformed thinking to frame my argument I may not convince the one with whom I’m debating but I am witnessing to the non-violent peace loving Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

When the Apostle Peter cut off the Roman guard’s ear with his sword Jesus quickly reprimanded him for using violence even if it was meant to be in defense of his Lord (Peter was operating according to conformed thinking: the good-guy-with-a-gun logic). 

Jesus on the other hand provided the transformed approach to such violence: 

“Put your sword back into its place; for all who take the sword will perish by the sword.”

The operative Gospel principle behind Jesus’ words to Peter is non-violent resistance (a principle found in several places throughout the New Testament). This does not make sense to the world but it should make sense to the Christian mind. 

So what I hear Paul saying is this: 

We can allow the world to frame our debates and opinions based on conformed thinking or we can allow the Gospel to frame our engagement with the world. 

This is why I consider debating the gun issue with conformed thinking as an exercise in futility—a waste of time. Conformed thinking is certainly of this world. Transformed thinking comes from an entirely different Source: Jesus Christ. Christians ought too understand this distinction. 

America loves its guns and in the words of pastor Brian Zahnd will “deserve the hell it gets” for such idolatry.

Let’s hope Brian is wrong but if this issue is not framed with transformed thinking then I suspect he may be right.

Time will tell.

Limping Into Forgiveness

Forgiveness is messy business.

Don’t let anyone tell you that extending or receiving forgiveness is easy. How can it be? Forgiveness takes place within the context of broken and messy human lives. 

But equally as difficult is to seek forgiveness from one you have wronged or caused harm. The following story illustrates this truth for us.

There were two brothers (twins) whose lives separated because of a combination of bad parenting, poor life decisions, deception and lying, and the usual sibling rivalry that so many experience. 

Esau was the first born and therefore inherited certain rights and privileges according to ancient Near Eastern traditions. Jacob, being the second born, was excluded from the expected paternal blessing reserved for his older brother. This was a big deal in that ancient culture (check out the parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15).

Both brothers were very different: Esau was the rugged outdoorsman and hunter (probably athletic as well) while Jacob was more creative and loved to stay close to home. One was a father’s boy and the other a mama’s boy. 

This is never a healthy family dynamic but in this case it eventually led to a painful schism between the two brothers. My sense is that the entire family was at least borderline dysfunctional when it came to rearing their children. 

Jacob, with his mother’s help, deceived Isaac (the father) and stole Esau’s elder son birthright, which was bad juju back in that time and place. Esau was furious. 

So Jacob fled to another country to avoid his brother’s vengeful wrath.

With the passing of time however the human heart should soften a bit and the intensity of old family feuds should dim.

This is true of Jacob as he apparently sensed the need to reconcile with his  brother Esau.

So Jacob headed for home in hopes of receiving forgiveness from his brother Esau.

Along the way Jacob wrestled with God (Genesis 32:22-32). It was a life-changing experience. All night long Jacob wrestled with the Holy One. In the morning two things happened as the result of this all night WrestleMania: 

Jacob incurred a broken hip resulting in a lifelong limp. He also received a new name, Israel which appropriately means, “to wrestle with God”.

Biblical scholars are not real clear as to the meaning of this all night wrestling match between Jacob and God but there is a significant lesson to be learned from the incident:

Jacob had to limp his way into forgiveness.

To seek forgiveness one must take ownership and responsibility for his or her part in the broken and injured relationship.

Jacob’s lifelong limp was the tell tale evidence of a life dominated by lies and deception.

Such behavior as lying and deception always costs something. There is always a price to pay for the way we unjustly treat or talk about others, especially those close to us. 

It is costly to do unjust harm to another human being. 

Yet we all do it to one degree or another. We are human of course and our relationships are spiced with messiness.

So when we feel the need to seek forgiveness from an injured friend, or a co-worker, or a neighbor, or a spouse, or even a family member we will then have to limp into that forgiveness with a broken heart. 

There is of course a good chance that forgiveness will not be given. But we must take that risk and limp nonetheless.

No one comes to forgiveness with a clean slate, I don’t care who you are. Jacob knew what he had done. He wrestled with God because he had yet to find peace with himself or with his brother. He knew deep down that he had stolen something quite valuable from his brother. He knew that his lying and deception had finally caught up with him—it always does. 

Fortunately Esau forgave Jacob. He embraced him and kissed him as was custom for males to do in the ancient Middle East. 

Yes, forgiveness is messy but is so necessary to heal our broken relationships.