Confession #3

I know, probably too many confessions, but it really is good for the soul.

Since when does being committed to Christ come with a membership card in the NRA? I have read and re-read the second amendment, and I cannot escape the idea that the focus of those words is on the preservation of a well-armed militia. Moreover, since one of the things I teach my students is that context, context, context is the first rule of biblical interpretation (and really of all literature), it seems appropriate to read the constitution's words in light of its original context too. Once we do that, we find that the framers were most concerned more about the common defense of the colonies, a fact that leaves our sometimes rabid defense of the right to keep and bear arms misplaced in this era of a professional and highly-trained military.

Be all this constitutional mumbo jumbo as it may, let's ask the religious question. What does Jesus think about the ready availability of so many guns? Oh, if only we knew. If only He had spoken directly to the issue, we wouldn't have to derive his opinion from other statements! I just have a hard time imagining Jesus, who steadfastly refused to enter into armed conflict (even in the Garden on the night of his trial!), counseling me to take up arms against another human being. Where do we find warrant in the words of the New Testament for the view that self-defense with guns, which almost never happens, is warranted? I think of the words from Revelation 12: They loved not their lives even unto death. Or, those of Acts 14: Through many tribulations we enter the kingdom of God. Or, maybe of Matthew 5, if someone strikes you on one cheek, give him the other one too.

Now, some may say that these statements all refer to suffering for the sake of the gospel. That may in some sense be the case. Yet, Jesus consistently preached about the need to let this life go, and to embrace another life with a different ethic. That ethic, like the hyppocratic oath, is to do no harm. Oh, but I almost forgot the now-familiar retort--Guns don't kill people, people kill people. Actually, I think it goes like this--People with guns kill people (who also may have guns, as it turns out). All in all, I just don't see Jesus strapping on a sidearm and heading into Jerusalem for a showdown with Caiaphas.