May 31, 2022
The Lott Carey Foreign Mission Convention is deeply concerned by the levels of gun violence and the tragic loss of innocent lives in the United States.
We express condolences and offer our prayerful support to families and associates who mourn the painful and irreplaceable loss of their loved ones.
The Gun Violence Archive reports that the shooting at the Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, which claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers, is the 213th mass shooting this year. Education Week reports that the shooting at Robb Elementary is the 27th school shooting this year. Everytown For Gun Safety reports that more than 1,530 people have been killed in mass shootings since 2009.
These figures do not speak of the mental, psychological, and emotional trauma that victims and their families experience. They do not tell the stories of social dislocation and horror. The spiritual harm done to the young and old alike cannot be measured.
As the Robb school shooting happened, the nation was still grappling with the racist attack that killed 10 innocent Americans while they did their supermarket shopping in Buffalo, New York, on May 14.
We at Lott Carey call on federal, state, and local authorities to take the necessary steps to stem the level of violence to save the lives of Americans, including innocent, defenseless children.
We implore political leaders to pass the requisite legislations to ensure that lethal weapons do not end up in the hands of the criminally minded.
We call on churches to take actions to prevent gun violence, to provide pastoral care to those who suffer violence, and to engage in initiatives that will bring about peace and reconciliation.
Such actions may include public awareness campaigns on gun violence, sponsoring regular educational conferences on gun violence and its prevention, and liturgies and sermons reflecting the love of the One who rejected violence and vengeance.
We propose that church sanctuaries and other resources be made available as places of refuge and hope for those who suffer violence, and that pastors and congregations offer the Prince of Peace as the Christian alternative to violence and power.
As one nation, under God, the United States is obliged to protect the lives of its citizens and residents, and to value human lives over guns.
Rev. Emmett Dunn
Executive Secretary-Treasurer
Lott Carey
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