January 13, 2016

Open carry.

What goes through your mind when you hear those two words?  For some people those two words are a victory for their constitutional right to keep and bear arms in any manner they see fit.  They see it as a victory against the overreach of the government.  They see it as a victory for personal protection and safety against “the bad guys.”

For other people those words are another slide into the downward spiral of violence and a mad belief that more weapons will stem the tide of death.  They wonder what will happen when the general public in a a restaurant, movie theater, or grocery store begin randomly shooting in the general direction of where they thought they heard gunfire.  They wonder how people will be able to tell the difference between the bad guys and the good guys when there are no video-game icons to make that distinction.

With more and more places passing open carry laws (think Texas most recently where open carry supporters gathered on courthouse steps to celebrate their victory), there is no shortage of opinions on this movement.  I’ve read a couple of essays regarding this issue in the past few days, and one in particular, by the Rev. David W. Peters, caught my attention.  In this piece, Fr. Peters advocates for an open carry of a different kind.

There are many ways we announce to the world who we are and what we believe: DOK members wear a distinctive cross; people proclaim loyalties to schools and sports teams on clothing; bumper stickers announce love of family, pets, and political parties.  Openly carrying a weapon announces at least three things: 1) I am fearful of others; 2) I believe in the power of my gun; and, 3) I see people as enemies and potential targets.

But those views are not the views of God.  In God, there is no fear – Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil.  Our power resides in God, not in the number or size of our guns – There is no king that can be saved by a mighty army, a strong man is not delivered by his great strength; our soul waits for the Lord, he is our help and our shield.  And in God we see people not as enemies – This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you – but as fellow members of God's kingdom – many will come from east and west and will eat with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.

Knowing that I put my faith and confidence in God, and looking for a way to quietly announce that to those with whom I come in contact, as well as give myself a tangible sign of comfort, I decided to follow the suggestion of Fr. Peters by openly carrying my prayer beads.

I've had a string of Anglican prayer beads since seminary and have used them off and on over the past twelve years; it has been an inconsistent practice at best.  But now, following the advice of Fr. Peters, I strap on my prayer beads every morning and head out into the world wearing a constant reminder that there is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear.

Open carry.  It doesn't always mean what you think it means.

Amen.