March for our Lives Exposes Christian Idolatry
This morning my wife, kids and I went to Washington Park and participated in our local March for our Lives.
These are the student lead (and somewhat organized) marches that took place in Washington DC, all over the US and even some cities around the world. These marches are immediately in response to the school shooting in Florida a month ago. But they are also a general response to the problem of violence by people with guns in America.
As we went we saw signs condemning violence. Condemning guns. Condemning politicians. Condemning the National Rifle Association.
We saw signs promoting safety. Gun control. And Gun bans.
We chanted "What do we want? Gun control. When do we want it? Now."
It was Burlingame. So it was pretty chill. People stopped at Starbucks and Peets for coffee on the way in and out.
As a Christian - I'm worried about the response I see from much of what people call evangelical Christianity. The movement should be called Evangelical with a capital "E", not evangelical in the sense of trying to bring people to Christ or even focused on the central tenants of Christian faith. The Evangelical movement in the US might have started out as evangelical, but now is the farthest thing from it.
Once the apostle Paul said, "I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings."
Today his followers (Evangelicals) won't cross the political aisle. Even on something that seems as simple and common sense as gun control. Universal, mandatory background checks with no loop holes. No assault rifles for civilians. No large clip magazines.
We can argue the details. But we know from observing most of Europe, much of Asia and Australia that stricter access to guns prevents crazy people from getting and using them to shoot strangers.
It would work. It has worked. But? But the 2nd Amendment. The difference is the 2nd Amendment. Ah, yes, that SACRED TEXT. Except - for Christians the Bible is our sacred text. Not the Constitution. Not the Bill of Rights. The Bible.
And here's my great fear. I worry that many of my brothers and sisters have made an idol. An idol of the US. An idol of our founding documents. An idol of guns and the liberty they represent.
Exodus 20:3, You shall have no other gods before me.
This is serious stuff.
So a few questions:
If you thought you could win people to Jesus by giving up your guns, would you?
(Hint, Hint, the Evangelical Christian attachment to guns IS driving people away from Christ. Imagine if the churches were leading these rallies!)
If you thought we could love our neighbors (both personally and nationally) by restricting gun sales, would we?
(Imagine the power of making a sacrifice like this for the sake of our neighbors.)
If you had to make a choice between your nationalism (not patriotism) and your God, would you choose God?
(Maybe we aren't there yet, but a huge part of the New Testament (almost all the letters) are one big critique of Jewish nationalism. If Jesus came to America tomorrow, I suspect it would be one of our biggest issues.)
