Reading your wonderful article, it strikes me that I've never heard a sermon preached on how Jesus' last miracle before his death is healing Malchus's ear after Peter cut it off. I'm fresh out of Fleming Rutledge's The Crucifixion, which helped me understand that any faithful response to the cross can never include violence. Thank you for this.
I was also an internet debater in the 2010s, and I spent a lot of time on conservative Christian spaces, most of which were American run. As a Canadian Christian, I was bewildered at the extent to which political viewpoints, including a commitment to gun ownership rights, were equated with Christianity.
Commenter names were usually anonymous then - one recognized people by their avatar picture and linguistic traits. I recall one regular commenter who liked to talk about doing Bible studies, and appeared to be gentle and devout. One day, another commenter shared a rumour that the then Democratic president was planning to erode gun ownership rights. This devout, Bible studying commenter responded with a statement of pride in the weapons he owned, concluding "If they come for them, I'll be waiting."
The idea that someone who seemed to love the Scriptures would also think it was moral to kill simply to preserve his weapons collection was staggering. In his Bible studies, hadn't he read Jesus's warning to Peter about the fate of those who live by the sword? Hadn't he read the admonition to obey the authorities in Romans 13? Hadn't he read the Sermon on the Mount? I remembered that commenter, whose real name I do not know, when I read about this shooter in Minneapolis.
Thank you for writing this. I needed to remind myself to love my enemies and do good to those who hate me when so many times I too just want to lash out in anger at the anger. Oof!!
This is helpful to frame our thinking. I'd also love to have a conversation about where the Psalms fall into this. Personally, I've found comfort in recent years in the prayers there that cry for the downfall of people who are perpetuating evil - especially evil kings/rulers. Does that fall into violence?
Oops, I pressed publish too early and didn’t realize I didn’t respond to the second part. I get comfort in the Psalms calling for justice. For me, I have landed on a cruciform hermeneutic when I read the Bible- meaning, I read everything through the lens of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And if something doesn’t align with that view of God (such as smashing babies on the rocks, as psalm 137 calls for) I choose to rely on Jesus as the correcting image of God. So yeah, I get the comfort and love the humanity of Psalmists begging for justice, but I don’t think doing it through violent means is ever the answer; and I don’t think God will call us to enact justice through violence. That’s just my opinion tho! You’re welcome to disagree!
The first act of violence most Christians experience is their parents hitting (spanking) them. Until the church admits that hitting children is wrong, and truly addresses the hard work of conflict management without power struggles; it absolutely has to justify violence. The white evangelical church does not have the ability to problem solve without some sort of power structure; not in child-rearing, not in husband/wife relationships, not in community building. If your entire structure is dependent upon someone having the most power, you will eventually have to resort to violence to prove that power. Honestly, with the current church rhetoric of "masculinity" being best portrayed via violent movies, we are lucky that men like this have thus far been "rare."
I agree this was an absolutely horrific, shocking, brazen act upon innocent people. It’s shocking because it’s rare a Christ believer would prey upon defenseless people posing as law enforcement. He should be charged with the full extent of the law. However, your article makes a tremendous gigantic leap speaking in the same paragraph about average gun owning, church attending Tennesseans. Where is the connection? It would be unfair to make any links with good hearted Christian gun owners and this deranged man who is definitely an outlier.
Quote “It’s easy to say, “He’s a crazy outlier!” but that excuses us from the necessary work of criticizing how Christians in America view violence and defend it with theology. What if he is not an outlier, but a product of the myths we hold up? What if he was just unwell enough to do the thing many fear-mongering preachers talk about on Sundays?“
Unless I’m wrong, a connection is being made between using a convenient label of crazy outlier because of Christians in America who view violence and defend it with theology. When, where do local Christians have undertones of violence? If that is what we think in general of other believers, it’s very sad.
Reading your wonderful article, it strikes me that I've never heard a sermon preached on how Jesus' last miracle before his death is healing Malchus's ear after Peter cut it off. I'm fresh out of Fleming Rutledge's The Crucifixion, which helped me understand that any faithful response to the cross can never include violence. Thank you for this.
I’ve written several times on that story because I think it’s one of the most powerful stories in the gospels!!! So so so so good.
Ahh, do share!!
I’m horrified at learning that the shooter was not only a believer but a missionary. My God, have mercy on us… what have we done in your name
I was also an internet debater in the 2010s, and I spent a lot of time on conservative Christian spaces, most of which were American run. As a Canadian Christian, I was bewildered at the extent to which political viewpoints, including a commitment to gun ownership rights, were equated with Christianity.
Commenter names were usually anonymous then - one recognized people by their avatar picture and linguistic traits. I recall one regular commenter who liked to talk about doing Bible studies, and appeared to be gentle and devout. One day, another commenter shared a rumour that the then Democratic president was planning to erode gun ownership rights. This devout, Bible studying commenter responded with a statement of pride in the weapons he owned, concluding "If they come for them, I'll be waiting."
The idea that someone who seemed to love the Scriptures would also think it was moral to kill simply to preserve his weapons collection was staggering. In his Bible studies, hadn't he read Jesus's warning to Peter about the fate of those who live by the sword? Hadn't he read the admonition to obey the authorities in Romans 13? Hadn't he read the Sermon on the Mount? I remembered that commenter, whose real name I do not know, when I read about this shooter in Minneapolis.
Thank you for writing this. I needed to remind myself to love my enemies and do good to those who hate me when so many times I too just want to lash out in anger at the anger. Oof!!
Thanks for writing this, Savannah. Insightful and sobering.
This is helpful to frame our thinking. I'd also love to have a conversation about where the Psalms fall into this. Personally, I've found comfort in recent years in the prayers there that cry for the downfall of people who are perpetuating evil - especially evil kings/rulers. Does that fall into violence?
I get that!
Oops, I pressed publish too early and didn’t realize I didn’t respond to the second part. I get comfort in the Psalms calling for justice. For me, I have landed on a cruciform hermeneutic when I read the Bible- meaning, I read everything through the lens of Jesus’ death and resurrection. And if something doesn’t align with that view of God (such as smashing babies on the rocks, as psalm 137 calls for) I choose to rely on Jesus as the correcting image of God. So yeah, I get the comfort and love the humanity of Psalmists begging for justice, but I don’t think doing it through violent means is ever the answer; and I don’t think God will call us to enact justice through violence. That’s just my opinion tho! You’re welcome to disagree!
This is good.
So powerful Savannah. Thank you for writing this.
The first act of violence most Christians experience is their parents hitting (spanking) them. Until the church admits that hitting children is wrong, and truly addresses the hard work of conflict management without power struggles; it absolutely has to justify violence. The white evangelical church does not have the ability to problem solve without some sort of power structure; not in child-rearing, not in husband/wife relationships, not in community building. If your entire structure is dependent upon someone having the most power, you will eventually have to resort to violence to prove that power. Honestly, with the current church rhetoric of "masculinity" being best portrayed via violent movies, we are lucky that men like this have thus far been "rare."
I agree this was an absolutely horrific, shocking, brazen act upon innocent people. It’s shocking because it’s rare a Christ believer would prey upon defenseless people posing as law enforcement. He should be charged with the full extent of the law. However, your article makes a tremendous gigantic leap speaking in the same paragraph about average gun owning, church attending Tennesseans. Where is the connection? It would be unfair to make any links with good hearted Christian gun owners and this deranged man who is definitely an outlier.
Pamela, did you read the part where I talk about him being an outlier?
I guess I’m interpreting this wrong.
Quote “It’s easy to say, “He’s a crazy outlier!” but that excuses us from the necessary work of criticizing how Christians in America view violence and defend it with theology. What if he is not an outlier, but a product of the myths we hold up? What if he was just unwell enough to do the thing many fear-mongering preachers talk about on Sundays?“
Unless I’m wrong, a connection is being made between using a convenient label of crazy outlier because of Christians in America who view violence and defend it with theology. When, where do local Christians have undertones of violence? If that is what we think in general of other believers, it’s very sad.
Which Anabaptist theologians do you recommend reading?
Walter wink’s the powers that be informed this piece a lot!!