Guns in the house of God

My heart breaks for what happened in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5. The senseless slaughter of people engaged in worship is just pure evil.

I once again shake my head at the idea of a multitude of people being terrorized by one person because that one has a gun and the multitude does not.

Every time there is a shooting, the issue of guns resurfaces -- some of it because people want to politicize tragedy, and some of it, no doubt, from well-meaning people who are trying to grapple with what took place.

The conversations that follow incidents like this are always passionate and come with a lot of finger-pointing. The conversation is always a controversial one, but this one goes even deeper. When people worshiping God in church are gunned down, it raises the situation to another level. It's something the mind can hardly conceive. Unbelievers mock, saying to Christians, "Where was your God in all this?" Some believers even wonder how such a thing could happen. But these believers usually emerge even more resolute in their faith, understanding that evil exists and humans have free will, and they, like the faith community in Texas, will not be moved to unbelief by evil people who do what evil people do.

When a massacre occurs within the church, the focus goes to gun control because people rush there, but it shifts the focus not just to guns, but guns inside the church for protection. "Do guns have a place within the church?" is the question.

I engaged in a discussion with someone about this a few days ago.

What must congregations do to protect themselves, and particularly children, from evil people? Let's face it: evil has shown its hand. There is no surprise as to what the enemy wants to do. The Bible makes it plain: The plan is to "steal, kill and destroy." We've been sufficiently warned. The onus, therefore, is on us to do our part to protect ourselves as much as humanly possible. My conversation last week reminded me, however, that some are hell-bent on doing nothing, espousing the idea that guns have no place in the church. Her perspective seemed to be a "what will be will be" idea, that God should just be trusted to take care of people, and if He doesn't, well, He was not willing to be there for them in that situation. Being armed in church, apparently, displays a lack of faith.

I pushed back on that notion because, frankly, I find it ludicrous. There's nothing holy about being wholly unprepared. There's nothing holy about not taking measures to protect children. There's nothing holy -- or wise -- about expecting God to do for us what He has equipped us to do for ourselves. Don't get me wrong: God is our source; guns are not our God. We need Him in all things, but we also understand that He has given us tools, and He has given us wisdom, and being good stewards of those things requires us to take common sense steps. Often, we are waiting on God, and God is waiting on us. I look at it this way: Though we trust God, we still lock our doors. Though we trust God, we still wear seat belts. Though we trust God, we still get a job to provide for our families. So why don't those things suggest a distrust of God, but being armed for self-protection in church does?

The person with whom I was discussing this issue said she believes God is offended by weapons in church. My response was that it is she who is offended. First, her suggestion is not biblical, and second, I don't believe God is offended by weapons in church, but He is offended by the need for weapons in church -- the sin that has brought us to this place. And I also believe He's offended by our allowing ourselves to be sitting ducks. Does He not expect us to protect, for example, those whom He has entrusted in our hands, such as children? Should we not be good stewards of those lives?

Of course, I cast no aspersions on the victims of the tragedy in Texas. My heart goes out to them. I do believe, however, that their misfortune, for lack of better word, should spur us to common sense action. Churches need a plan. Whether that plan should involve guns is something people and churches must work out internally, I suppose, but something better be worked out. Let us be churches of prayer, absolutely. Let us be churches that walk in faith, certainly. But let us also remember what God said about both prayer and faith: "Watch and pray" and "Faith without works is dead."

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member. Contact her at aross@semissourian.com.