Is there a Christian response to violence ad mass shootings?

“In the face of evil and tragedy be not weary in well doing. 

Never cease to be moved by the suffering of others. 

Mourn with those who mourn.” Ben Watson

Already this year there have been nearly 70 mass shootings. There have been more mass shootings at this point in 2023 than in any previous year since 2013. With Jane’s growing up in East Lansing, the shootings at MSU took my breath away. We’ve been on that campus many, many times!  Yet, it’s not just mass shootings. Violent crime is growing rampantly everywhere, particularly in urban areas. For example, you have a 1 in 185 chance of being the victim of a violent crime in Racine. A 1 in 60 chance of being one in Milwaukee and a 1 in 24 chance in Chicago. It’s a Mad Max world. So what’s a Christian response?

  First, we need to be honest, there are no simple answers. After each mass shooting self-appointed experts flood social media with solutions. Many are quick to blame access to guns, yet many mass shootings and violent crimes happen in places with the strictest gun controls. One doesn’t need a gun to attack people. Just recently, Weng Sor drove a rented U-Haul and struck nine people in Brooklyn.

  Obviously, there does need to be some gun control. Convicted felons or those with a history of mental illness shouldn’t have access to guns.

  For a myriad of reasons, we have a mental health crises. While some who commit violent crimes are evil, many others suffer from mental illness. Because of their derangement, they’re a danger to themselves and others, and society needs to be protected from them.

  Violent crime and mass shootings are a vertical problem. They reveal the sin inherent in our world and a breakdown with the God who created life. The core solution to reducing violence is not another policy or law. It’s in addressing root causes that result in someone carrying out these horrific crimes. Guns, vehicles, and bombs are the symptoms of the problem. The real problem is the heart of the perpetrator. It’s first a spiritual problem.

  Violence happens because of the brokenness and evil inside each of us. We’re all naturally rebels against God and slaves to sin, compelled to do its bidding. Jesus came to set us free from our sin. The main problem in the world isn’t weapons, bad parenting, poverty, or any other social malady. The problem is that we’re estranged from God and in need of redemption.

  While this doesn’t mean that there isn’t value in dealing with problematic societal structures, it does mean that the primary blame doesn’t reside with politicians, gun dealers, or law enforcement.

  Mourn with those who mourn and pray for all the victims. Christians are to “mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15). With so much violence, it’s easy to become desensitized. We’ve seen so many reports of tragedies that we can forget to remember that the lives lost were someone’s sons and daughters, someone’s spouse, or someone’s parent. As Christians, we’re called to identify with the pain of others.

  And we need to pray for those who have experienced tragedy. Every victim has a mother and a father. Many times they have siblings and extended family. The victim of violence is not the only victim.

  Some will retort that “thoughts and prayers” are unhelpful. Christ-followers know that prayer is the most powerful tool we have available. Through prayer, we have access to the God of the universe, the only One who can bring peace to violent situations and comfort to those who have experienced loss. We must be committed to lifting up those in need.

  Violence and murder are natural outcomes of a “Culture of Death.” Genesis 1:27, says “God created man in His image, male and female He created them.” When a culture doesn’t value Imago Dei, that every human being is made in the image of God, then violence and murder of all kinds are tragic byproducts. If one doesn’t value life at its beginning or end, why would one value life in the middle? If one doesn’t believe “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13), for every human being,  the move to take the life of another human being becomes easier to rationalize.  

  While we can’t change the world, we can work to change “our world.”  Since 1982, 134 mass shootings have been carried out in the United States by male shooters. In contrast, only three mass shootings have been carried out by women. Many mass shooters were loners and suicidal prior to carrying out their rampage. The average age is under 35.

  God has designed us for community. He has designed us for relationships. God has not called Christians to live safe lives but invested ones. Too many of us are so busy that we fail to notice those around us with deep needs. It takes very little effort to invest in young people or single adults that God brings into the sphere of your life. Knowing their name, some of their interests and engaging them in conversation humanizes them.

  God designed the local church to be a Christian counterculture from the world. While the world may be filled with disrespect and rudeness, we value kindness and graciousness. While violence may fill the streets, we must cultivate an environment of love, peace, forgiveness and healthy relationships. While environment is not a guarantee against acts of evil, it’s profoundly important. In our families, in our small groups, in our teen and children’s ministries and in all our interactions, we must cultivate an environment that gives people the alternative of a biblical worldview of Christlikeness to the cruelty and emptiness that our world offers.

  We can share the only true hope. Only the gospel of Christ offers true hope. Only Jesus can reconcile us to God and help us reconcile with each other. When we come to Christ, we receive not only forgiveness for our sins, but we also get a new family as we’re adopted into the family of God.

  In the aftermath of great evil, as believers we must cling tighter to the gospel, realizing that we are all lost without it. We must boldly share it. If we truly are concerned with the evil in the world, we must point those around us to the only hope of solving the heart problems that births all evil.

Can we help you spiritually? Please check out more resources on our church's web page, Gracechurchwi.org. Or call us at 262.763.3021. If you'd like to know more about how Jesus can change your life, I'd love to mail you a copy of how Jesus changed my life in "My Story." E-mail me at Carson@gracechurchwi.org to request a free copy. Please include your mailing address.