Across the Pastor’s Desk by Kenneth Jensen

 

I woke up to a beautiful summer morning last Sunday. Turning on the news, I heard 29 people had been murdered in two mass shootings — 20 in El Paso, Texas, and nine in Dayton, Ohio. Dozens more had been injured.

Gun violence has become so common that we are becoming numb to it. As of last Sunday, in 2019 there have been 17 mass killings, an average of one every 13 days. Shootings involving multiple but fewer fatalities have occurred 250 times.

In response to the El Paso tragedy, their Congresswoman, Veronica Escobar, observed that we are “living with an epidemic of guns and an epidemic of hate.” Put the two together, and there is little hope the level of violence will subside.

Days prior to his crucifixion, as Jesus approached Jerusalem, he gazed upon the city and wept. In his lament he said, “If even you had only known on this day what would bring you peace — but now it is hidden from your eyes” (Luke 19:41-42 NIV).

Jesus was prophesying the future destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. But the many things Jesus said and did often held a deeper meaning.

Jesus knew that when one becomes obsessed with an issue or a cause, any prospect of perceiving something in a different light is shut off. We become enslaved by our prejudices, be they political, radical or whatever. We become fearful of what the future might hold for us. Fear leads to hatred, and hatred leads to violence.

The Scriptures say, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear” (1 John 4:18a NIV). To break out of our “tribal” nature is to embrace those who are not of our “tribe” — to love one another. Such love involves building relationships with those outside our close-knit community and celebrating our ethnic and cultural differences, not fearing them.

The author of Hebrews reminds us, “Keep on loving one another as brothers (and sisters). Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so, some people have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:1-2 NIV).

Ken Jensen is a retired ELCA pastor living in Albert Lea.