On March 26th, Shane Claiborne will be coming to Emmanuel Presbyterian Church to lead us in a conversation about gun violence, Scripture, and God’s desire for transformation.

 

Claiborne is a best-selling author and coveted speaker. He is bringing his good friend Mike Martin, a Mennonite minister turned blacksmith, to literally transform a firearm into a gardening tool. Shane takes seriously Isaiah’s description of God’s longing that we turn from violence towards one another and cultivate life!

 

Registration for the event is FREE, but you do need to register in order to secure a space.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER.

 

We know the topic of gun violence is not easy.

 

We know that dealing with the trauma and tragedy of losing loved ones is not easy. But we also know that Jesus has placed calls on our lives to live differently, to love courageously, and to confound evil in our world by facing it head on as his Church.

 

I hope you will join us for an evening where we can look at Scripture together and respond in faithful ways.

 

As Shane puts it, “we can do more than offer only our thoughts and prayers.” Let us look for common ground to stem the tide of violence in our country.

 

Below is a blurb directly from the Shane and Mike. I found it to be provoking, thoughtful and provided clarity about what the event will be discussing.

 

Inspired by the biblical prophets’ call to “beat swords into plowshares,” Claiborne and Martin will tour the country this spring with a forge and other blacksmithing tools. The Beating Guns Tour is a 90-minute event that will feature music, art, and stories of people impacted by gun violence, culminating with an invitation for the audience to take the hammer and transform a gun into garden tools. The tour kicks off on March 9 in Philadelphia, stopping in more than 35 cities during the pre-Easter season of Lent, when many Christians reflect on the sanctity and gift of life.

 

Claiborne and Martin build their case with a revealing overview of the history of guns and gun marketing in America, alarming statistics, and stories of devastated lives and restorative justice. They debunk common myths and offer ideas for common sense change.

 

They address:

 

Fear in America:

Americans cling to their guns, ready to kill their neighbor at the slightest sense of fear. This has created a world in which a homeowner answers his door with a gun and shoots at a 14-year-old boy who stops to ask directions after missing his school bus.

Corporate Accountability:

The industry that creates one of the most dangerous products available enjoys total immunity when it comes to any responsibility for harm done.

Millions of Guns in America:

An average of just under 9.5 million guns are manufactured per year here—25,912 guns per day. Though there’s almost one gun per person in the U.S., only 32 percent of households have guns. “Some folks have a lot of guns.”

Gun Capitalists:

Businessmen invented the gun market, “making guns as commonplace as sewing machines.” The early gun empire families were motived by money and “moral agnosticism.”

Forgotten Victims:

An estimated 73,000 people per year are shot and survive, many of them injured in life-altering ways.

The Changing NRA:

Less than 5 percent of gun owners belong to the NRA. A recent survey found that 74 percent of NRA members support universal background checks on all gun sales, compared to 84 percent of guns owners in general and 90 percent of Americans.

Gun Control Myths:

The idea that any gun control measure will lead to all guns being taken is just one myth the authors debunk. “Banning semiautomatic weapons or high capacity magazines that allow guns to shoot one hundred rounds per minute does not lead to taking away hunting rifles or even a handgun purchased for self defense.”

 

Addressing the spiritual dimension of the problem, they point out that violence is not just about guns.

 

As Christians who practice nonviolence, they believe “Christians can not carry a cross in one hand and a weapon in the other.” Rather, they “plot for peace,” engaging in the practice of de-escalation of everyday interaction. De-escalation of the small things helps keep the big events from happening.”

Tired of waiting for legislative action on common sense gun laws, Claiborne and Martin say “we will not wait on politicians to turn death into life.” The beauty of the prophets’ vision is that the people themselves transform their weapons: “Peace begins with the people of God, who refuse to kill and beat their weapons into farm tools. We will make violence extinct by refusing to kill.”