In Christ Alone

This is just my opinion – but I’ve been doing some musing and I thought I’d write it out. It seems to me that with the gun-border-anti-Muslim debates going on in our country these days – amongst CHRISTIANS no less - we’ve forgotten two basic things:

First, we’ve forgotten the bigness of the God we serve. When we declare in the worship songs we sing that he is the Almighty, the Deliverer, the Savior, the Protector – I don’t think some of us actually believe that. Because if we did, I don’t think we’d be saying to ourselves that we trust in the goodness and ability of God to protect us, but just in case, I better get a gun so I can protect my family as back up. We declare that we trust in the goodness and abundance of God, but if we open our borders, there won’t be enough for everyone.

Second, we’ve forgotten that our life is not our own. We’ve forgotten that this life is already fleeting. We’ve forgotten that true life is eternal. As King David says in Psalm 56:

3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
4 In God, whose word I praise---
in God I trust and am not afraid. 
What can mere mortals do to me?

And again:

10 In God, whose word I praise,
in the LORD, whose word I praise---
11 in God I trust and am not afraid.
What can humans do to me?

We’ve suddenly become so fearful of what humans can do to us that we’ve forgotten what we’ve started doing to each other. Shutting our borders? Blaming all Muslims?

One of the things I love about the body of Christ is how we all read the Bible so differently. Constantly bringing out new perspectives and vantage points – but I do think it has become detrimental the way we qualify our love these days. The way we justify who God would allow us to cut out in order to protect ourselves and our families. God sacrificed his own SON, I don’t think it’s likely you could justify much by way of excluding even the most vile of criminals and perpetrators in the name of Christianity. It goes against the central tenant of our faith.  

I understand the urge. Don’t get me wrong. I’m not judging. I think it’s completely rational to want to find someone to blame for the violence in the world – because then you could make yourself feel safer. It makes sense to get a gun, because then you could make yourself feel safer. And I'm not against guns, plenty of people I know owns guns (I grew up in Illinois!), but what I don't think makes sense is running out to get a gun now because you're fearful of the recent mass shootings. Especially when you don't really know how to use one. 

Because all of this makes you feel more in control. But these things won't necessarily make you more in control, and certainly won't make you any safer. At least not any safer then you are right now. In Christ Alone.