God’s Love For All, Not Gun Violence!

I cannot image the pain and suffering the parents and family and friends are experiencing after the horrible mass-shooting in Uvalde, TX. I can only see a small part of their pain by seeing their tear-filled eyes and hopeless looks on their faces. I see the sadness of puffy tear-filled eyes of all the reporters, reporting on that senseless tragedy. Over the past few days, I have had countless conversations with people; hearing their pain and anger; along with my pain and anger. 

What is it going to take to end all the senseless gun violence in our country? With that said, I know it will never end. With that said, I believe we need to focus even more on ending gun violence or it will only get worse. I am not against the Second Amendment; however, I truly cannot see - any reason - for anyone - outside of the military and police agencies having access to weapons of mass destruction. They are designed to kill people! They are not guns used in hunting.

I heard the Texas Governor and other politicians say that horrible shooting was caused by mental health issues and not by guns. Really? I agree, there is a huge mental health crisis in our country which needs to be addressed. For people who are Pro-Life, why is mental health not being addressed to the extent it is needed? Why is gun violence not being addressed? With 80-90% of all Americans wanting some form of background checks, red flag gun laws, etc., why does our government not do the will of the people?

I do not profess to have all the answers. I strive to follow what I believe to be God’s and Jesus’ way of life, loving and caring for all people. That is how I view the gospels. That is how I view the entire Bible. For me, it truly comes down to this question. “How we view God, whoever or whatever you believe God to be, is how we will live our lives.

I proudly teach and preach at St. John’s Lutheran Church, that God is love. I believe God’s love is a non-violent love. I see that very clearly from Jesus’ Cross. If God were ever to be a violent, gun-toting God of mass-destruction, I believe it would have occurred on Good Friday! God continued to choose the path of love, allowing Jesus to be murdered, to help our world see what non-bullying love looks like.

What if our world could, or would, follow the “way” of Love? We would have a world filled with less gun violence. We would have a world filled with less mental health issues. We would have a world filled with more hope and peace for all. That’s the world I pray for. That is the world we all need. May the God of Love, fill us with compassion and love to bring more peace and hope into all of our lives.

As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments. Simply click on Comment/No Comment.