The alert flashed across my phone: Emergency: Armed, dangerous person on or near campus. Go inside now; avoid windows. Hands shaking, I texted my son, a freshman at UNC as of two weeks ago. Relief washed over me when he replied: he was ok; they had barricaded the door with desks and taped the windows. He would remain locked down in his classroom for the next three hours.

For this blog installment, I’d long planned to share a book I recently read for a small group study at my church – about discerning a faithful response to gun violence. I had not imagined that while blogging I’d be on high alert, communicating with fellow parents as we struggled to understand what was happening at Carolina. A professor was killed. Our kids were safe – this time. What do we do next?

Accompanying the pervasiveness of gun violence in America is a parallel and equally distressing reality: Americans are completely divided regarding what to do about it. My large church is comprised of members with diverse life experiences and political views. Many of us feel compelled to address this vexing issue. But how?

The book Common Ground: Talking About Gun Violence in America by Donald V. Gaffney offers a path forward. The author is a gun owner who was born and raised in Newtown, CT. He is also a minister. After the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary (a school he once attended) in 2012, he was determined to respond in a meaningful way. He found his calling in helping people talk to each other respectfully about guns and gun violence. He writes that “thoughtful Christians are free to have opinions that are radically different than ours. Our challenge is to love through those differences, honoring each other in those differences as we each seek to follow a common God.”

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This approach is evident in the six chapters of the book. I really liked that the book itself was very manageable (not long) and the organization of it helped to make this topic accessible. Powerfully, he shares his own personal history with guns, as well as different takeaways from survivors of gun violence (Gabby Giffords/gun safety legislation and Suzanna Gratia Hupps/ guns for self-defense and 2^nd Amendment rights). He is unflinching when examining American history as it relates to guns and violence. He also explores folklore, media, and current events to show the forces that contribute to our individual and cultural understanding of this issue. Subsequent chapters also look at contemporary gun violence data, and violence in the Bible.

Ultimately, the author supports legislative priorities like expanding relevant data collection, requiring training and permits, and electronic record keeping of gun sales or transfers. He notes that some readers may find this focus woefully inadequate – while others may disagree with pursuing any legislative remedies. He insists upon responsible gun ownership (we found that is a “common ground” value at our church, and have continued to pursue education and outreach around it). He passionately advocates for action of some kind. Above all, he urges open-minded, educated, respectful engagement.

I love reading books that challenge my perspectives and empower me moving forward. If you are concerned about gun violence and have grappled with the futility of addressing it, I encourage you to check out Common Ground. As I was reminded this week, it is a very timely read.

 

 

Award winning author Bess Kercher majored in English and written for local and national publications. She and her husband reside in North Carolina and have two grown sons.

Learn more at Bess’s BRRC Author page.