DEARLY BELOVED

The lead song in “Prince, the Revolution” is “Let’s Go Crazy!” The first line is: “Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life.” In this challenging time of alt-right, white power, fear-filled, authoritarian nationalism, any progress in gun violence prevention will come through Christians doubling down on discipleship. Discipleship is God’s grace uniting the People of God for Christ’s love coming alive!

What is this uniting grace? I go to the Sermon on the Mount. The uniting grace of discipleship is: 1) Being poor in spirit. 33,000 deaths a year makes us poor in spirit; 2) Mournful. The shock and screams of friends and relatives of the victims stun our senses; 3) Meekness. We take no pride in trumpeting gun “rights” at the expense of unacceptable deaths; 4) Hungering and thirsting for righteousness (justice). Prevention is justice; 5) Mercy. We the living are one with and embrace the victims; 6) Pureness of heart. We seek not profit or personal gain from working for gun violence prevention. We commit to action for the sake of the other; 7) Peacemaking. We believe that God did not create us for violence, but instead for living together in trustful harmony; 8) Accepting persecution. We will accept violence upon ourselves if necessary for the sake of making our homes, streets and work places safer for all; 9) Accept rejection. We will risk being unpopular for the sake of safer living; 10) Accepting that we are the salt of the earth and light of the world. We accept responsibility for creating a safer world.

Yes, Dearly Beloved, let’s go crazy in being Christ’s disciples! The grace of God unites us to get through this thing called life!