That was a question literally asked by a colleague following the shooting last week at a Sikh temple. Apparently, there is a corporation or some other such entity training clergy to pack heat for the protection of their congregation's on Sunday morning. After all, in today's U.S. society, safety is paramount, and someone must be ready to defend the innocent! (For those not familiar with sarcasm, that last sentence is a fine, fine example.)
Now, let be start by saying I have no problem with gun ownership. Neither do I have any issue with those who get a concealed/carry license. I'm a hunter. I use guns regularly. They don't bother me. I've even contemplated getting a concealed/carry license, and the only thing that has prevented me from doing so is the cost involved in purchasing a good pistol and the fees for the class. There are other things I need to spend my money on right now.
I'm even going to go out on a limb and say that nearly all (there would be a few who would object) of the folks in my congregation would be absolutely o.k. with a pastor who packed heat. I live out in the country, and most of my folks understand the use of a firearm as a tool. They understand that out here you run across snakes on a regular basis, and there are other wild animals to contend with as well at times. One morning while bike riding, I encountered a coyote. Luckily, he was more scared of me than I was of him, but if he would have been rabid or temperamental, I would have been in trouble. Such occasions warrant the use of firearms.
But in church? In worship?
I've got a problem with a clergy person packing heat in the middle of the service--for a couple of reasons.
1. The biggie of course is Jesus' teaching. He's pretty clear about violence and how a Kingdom person handles it. "Turn the other cheek." "Those who live by the sword, die by the sword." Substitute gun, and there you have it. It is not God's intent that we live in such a fashion. Yeah, I know. What about protecting the innocent? I understand. If someone breaks into my house, I wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on someone who was trying to harm my family. But when I am standing in front of a congregation with an alb on which represents being clothed with Christ, I am representing Him. Furthermore, when Christians gather for worship, they are enacting the eternal worship which goes on in heaven. I just can't picture Jesus up there packing heat. It doesn't work in my book.
2. Well, what about if someone comes in and starts shooting, aren't you afraid to die? In some ways, yes, I am. I truly want to see my children grow up and participate in their lives. I want my congregation members to have that same opportunities for their families and such. Yet, one cannot live in fear, and if we take our faith seriously, we shouldn't. We have nothing to fear from death. Death has already been defeated, and so we shouldn't bat an eye. I'm reminded of an old story I came across in a book by William White:
When his advancing army stormed into a small town, the general called his scouts before him. "Where are the citizens of this village?" he demanded.
"They have all fled in fear," the scouts replied.
"Is there no one left to pay tribute?" the general shouted.
"No one but the priest. He remains in the temple."
Quickly the general marched to the temple, burst through the doors and demanded to see the priest. After a search, the priest was found reading quietly in his study. The general, angry that the cleric refused to greet him as a conqueror, shouted, "Don’t you know that you are looking at one who can run you through without batting an eye?"
"Don’t you know," the priest replied, "that you are looking at one who can be run through without batting an eye?"
For a moment, the soldier stared at disbelief at the priest. Then, slowly, a smile danced on his lips. He bowed low and left the temple.
Such is the reality of one who walks with one foot in the Kingdom of God.
3. Shootings are pretty rare. Yes, we've seen a string of them in the news the past couple of weeks beginning in Aurora, Colorado and ending yesterday in College Station, Texas. But the chances of a person getting shot in such a fashion are very, very slim. Unfortunately, the television brings this reality right into our homes on a regular basis, so we become convinced such things are common place. They're not, and I believe we shouldn't act as if they are. To quote Johnny Blaze in Ghost Rider, "You can't live in fear."
It is for these reasons, one will not see me pack heat as a clergy in worship.
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