The Bishops’ Call to Action: A Response to the Shooting in Uvalde, Texas
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation. Rachael weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.”
– Jeremiah 31:15 as quoted in Matthew 2:18
Today we weep for the children of Uvalde. We weep for all the children who are no more; who have been slain with guns in the hands of the forces of evil. The children in Uvalde, Buffalo, Laguna, Parkland, Las Vegas, Aurora, Charleston, Newtown and so many more. Every victim of a mass shooting was someone’s child and certainly a child of God.
We will never abandon prayer as an essential part of our action and witness, and those who were killed and injured and their families have ours. Prayer and faith guide us and give us strength, but we are not living into that faith if we do not also take peaceful action.
As the bishops of the Diocese of North Carolina, we are calling on our churches for tomorrow, the Feast of the Ascension, to be a day of prayer and action. As the disciples of Jesus did so long ago, let us gather in prayer and ask for the power of the Holy Spirit to descend upon us and our land. Let us be prepared to go out and proclaim the promises of our baptism – that every person is a beloved child of God, and that we have a sacred responsibility to protect one another. As Jesus ascended into Heaven, he promised that the Holy Spirit will be with us to comfort us, to guide us and to empower us to advocate for the most vulnerable among us. As a sign of our faith in his promise and our commitment to take action, as well as our solidarity with the grieving, we ask our churches to toll their bells for 10 minutes before Noonday Prayers.
Tomorrow or in the next few days, it is possible the U.S. Senate will take up debate on legislation that could help reduce the frequency and lethalness of mass shootings. An example would be the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021, a bill that would require more extensive background checks on gun purchases. While the chances of the Senate actually enacting sensible gun policy may seem remote, our senators need to hear from us and know the passion in our hearts and the determination in their communities that steps must be taken to protect the safety of our citizens from the dangers of guns in the hands of those driven by evil in its various forms.
We have spent the day in conversation with The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations and the diocesan Council of Advice on Public Policy (CAPP) to discuss how we can respond both immediately and in the longer term. We will be calling on the offices of our senators. They alone cannot make the change that needs to happen; we are asking them to use the power they do have to work with their fellow elected officials toward measures that would prevent deadly weapons making their way into hands that would use them against the innocent.
We encourage all who feel called to work toward change to do the same. It is time to make our voices heard, and do not doubt our voices matter. Today, those who need to hear them most are in our Senate. Let Senators Richard Burr and Thom Tillis know that what happened in Uvalde, what happened in Buffalo, what happened in Parkland and Sandy Hook and Charleston and too many other places has to stop. Make a call, send an email or write a letter. The Episcopal Church offers resources, including Church positions, for you to use as guidance.
We are aware there may be many reading this who believe the Church has no place in matters of state. We understand that. The ongoing massacres and oppression of innocent citizens is not a political issue. It is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of every beloved child of God deserving to feel safe and seen and respected. To ignore the ongoing lack of action is to ignore our baptismal promise to renounce evil and strive for justice and peace among all people. Our responsibility to each other, and to these God given promises, must be stronger than political differences.
The problems we face will not be solved in a day. Much work has already been done: lending voices, building relationships, showing up to enact positive change to ensure those without have what we can give. We must be resolved to continue that work. There will be a team of people in our diocese appointed very shortly to focus our energy and strategy on this work in the weeks and months to come as we discuss and discern our next steps. We cannot be daunted, and we cannot lose hope. And today we can make our voices heard.
RESOURCES:
The Episcopal Office of Government Relations
Action Alert on Supporting Gun Reform
Resources to Respond to Gun Violence
Episcopal Church Policies on Gun Safety and Gun Reform
Contact your representatives (local, state and federal)
ADVOCACY:
Faith & Citizenship: A Guide to Effective Advocacy for Episcopalians
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