(Originally posted on January 17, 2013)
My heart is grieved.
My heart has been heavy over the past weeks and months as I have seen the debate develop surrounding guns and violence in our nation in the wake of the horrific shootings in Newtown, CT. I am not going to use this forum to write about gun laws or lack thereof, nor about the letter or spirit of the 2nd Amendment. I do believe that it is an important conversation for our nation to have. But I must speak only to what has grieved me most – and to what I feel I would be betraying my calling if I didn’t speak to. I must speak to what I see as a spiritual illness evident in how abrasively and vehemently some on the opposing sides have waged their attack. There is a line that is crossed, as Christians, when our espousal of a political, civic, or national issue, or “right” for that matter blurs into taking a place in the central principle of our lives – a place reserved for and only for Christ. By this, I mean, that, when we take something like our right to bear arms, or, on the other side, the reliance upon the national government to “fix” the issue and make us safer – and give those things, which are secular the place of the sacred – the thing which we would die for and feel the need to defend to our last breath – we are in danger of falling into the ages-old trap of idolatry.
Neither guns nor government are God, nor even inherently godly or righteous. Neither are sacred. Neither can grant real, lasting security or absolute protection. Neither can bestow or really even defend true freedom. Neither will save you. As Christians we believe freedom, security, and protection come only through Christ. And we believe that not even death can take away. Whatever side we might take on the current national debate, let us – especially we who identify ourselves as Christians – guard our hearts against idolatry. If we find ourselves holding onto anything but the Gospel of Christ so tightly that it divides us from our neighbor, or consumes our time and energy, or makes us react with such urgency as if all is lost if our position does not prevail – then we must examine our hearts carefully and prayerfully, and repent.
I also grieve what I have perceived to be a celebration and glorification of firearms that goes far beyond a support in the Second Amendment. If, indeed, the right to bear arms is an important safeguard placed in the Constitution in order to protect against tyranny, as is argued, then, fine – that can be reasonably argued and held as far as Caesar is concerned. But as Christians, the only response to any violence must be mourning. I cannot find anything in the Gospel to indicate otherwise. We must mourn the fact that it would ever be necessary to have to take up arms – not proclaim with pride and gusto our right to do so. It should be mourned that guns even exist – even if we believe that it is important or necessary that citizens, or a well-regulated militia, or, even the armed forces or police must carry them to defend against threats to the innocent from those who wish to do violence. Its all still broken, and not as it should be – and therefore cannot be held up an an ideal by the Christian.
Closer, I think, would be the conclusion that Dietrich Bonhoeffer came to when considering how a Christian, who is not to take life, could be part of a conspiracy to kill Adolph Hitler: “What is worse that doing evil is being evil” (Ethics, 65). Bonheoffer genuinely struggled with carrying out an act of violence, even against Hitler, because he took what Christ did and said seriously. He died a martyr, in imitation of the One whom he truly served, in Whom nothing and no-one, not even Nazi executioners could prevail.
Saved Together 
Well said, Father. Thanks for articulating some things I’ve been wrestling with in my heart and mind.
Dear Father:
Thank you for speaking out. I have struggled so in how much I as a flawed Orthodox could speak out against the NRA, against the paranoid, against the “defenders” of the Constitution.
I felt like I was a voice in the wilderness, so lost. Wondering if my pride was driving my letter writing, my Facebook posts. When I read your post, it was a breath of fresh air, a blessing, a gift from our Lord.
As Christians, I feel we must speak out against the addiction that has gripped our nation.
Thank you for your words.
Cindy Eberts
Very well written. I hope people will read the entire post and examine their own hearts. Thanks!
Reblogged this on Joel David Weir and commented:
I wrote this a year ago after the tragic school shooting in Newtown, CT. Since then, our nation has witnessed 23 mass shootings, some of which reignited the public debate over guns. The rhetoric remains, so I humbly submit this again for your consideration.