I held a gun for the first time in my life a few weeks ago. A friend was showing me his impressive gun collection and I soon found myself looking down the barrel of a huge shotgun that seemed as big as me!
The image still makes me chuckle.
I have never liked guns, which is really not fair considering I have not been around them. I have always thought of myself as a bit of a pacifist. While I have no problem with people owning guns nor any moral objection to hunting, the thought of shooting at a person, especially to defend myself, is something I never really thought I could do. I have some lofty theological arguments for this position, but I will spare you.
The truth is - theology aside - I have come to realize that in any given moment, I am probably capable of anything.
I am not typically a very fearful person when it comes to my physical safety. My fears lie elsewhere :) But recently, there have been a series of things that have made me wonder...
There have been a recent string of serious aggravated robberies and assaults at the University of Houston. The latest happened in an adjacent parking lot to where I was last week at the same moment I was leaving campus.
It creeped me out.
I live by myself in the middle of Houston...not far from some pretty rough parts of town. My old house would be no match for someone wanting to get in. Anyone could easily break down the door with a strong kick.
Sometimes, if I let myself think about it, it creeps me out.
Lastly is the increased violence at the border. The stories coming back from Reynosa are getting more serious every month. I am scheduled to preach down there next month and the thought crossed my mind that maybe I should be alarmed. I am not, really, but maybe I should be.
So sitting here in the middle of the night...in this old house...in this rough neighborhood...alone...I wonder if maybe I should take friends' advice and get a gun.
But...that really creeps me out :)
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7 comments:
I'm interested in hearing the lofty theological arguments that would ready you for possible assault rather than defense and survival...
Byron...
loft·y (lôf'tē,)
adj. loft·i·er, loft·i·est
1. Of imposing height.
2. Elevated in character; exalted.
3. Affecting grandness; pompous.
4. Arrogant; haughty.
I chose this word because I know to spout off my theological beliefs about something so simple often sounds trite, thus arrogant or pompous. And, as I said in my post, I have become quite aware that I am probably capable - definitely if left to myself - of just about anything. So I have nothing to be pompous about. Also, I am quite convinced that we often change our theology based on our current circumstances. that feels nasty to say, but I believe it is true. We can be quite positive of a particular position and it all changes when we are faced with situations that we have never experienced before.
Having said that, I take Jesus' teachings (turning the other cheek, going the extra mile, giving your tunic, loving your enemies etc) very seriously. Whether I can live up to them or not is, indeed, another matter! As Christians, I think we spend so much time splitting hairs over trivial things. What if we gave more attention to radically living our lives by the red letters in the book?
Defending myself to the point of killing presumes a couple of things:
1 - I am master of my life. Well, I gave this one up a long time ago. He numbers my days, and I can no more defend myself when it is my time to go than I can make the sun stand still.
2 - Death is something to be feared and life protected at all costs. I certainly do not want to die. In fact, I hope G-d lets me live to be really old, because there are just too many things I want to do. BUT, death is hardly the end. Paul knew that to die is gain. We don't get that.
Probably the most compelling reason for me is that I just can't see Jesus doing it. Maybe I am wrong, or naive...blah, blah, blah. But I cannot in my wildest imagination picture Jesus blowing someone's brains out to protect his own life.
OK...this is the simple answer, with no scripture.
There is so much to say. Even as I am writing, my thoughts are flip-flopping!
that's why you don't aim for his head. A good licensing program should help that. :)
haha...
Well, license or not, as clumsy as I am, I would probably shoot my own self in the foot :)
"What if we gave more attention to radically living our lives by the red letters in the book?"
Puts everything into perspective. This is one of the reasons I love Beth Hoover!
I find it interesting at Jesus's arrest his disciples were carrying swords in which one wacked off one of the soldier's ear and he gave his famous line, He who lives by the sword will die by the sword...but why if Jesus was an extreme pacifist did he allow his close disciples to carry swords in the first place?
Katherine...awwww, thanks for the kinds words :)
Tim...great point bro :)
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