Terror in Tucson

The deadly violence in Tucson calls for our prayers, not our prescriptions.

It's tempting to draw conclusions or look for lessons in a tragedy like this. People who support gun control use it as an occasion to moralize on that topic. Those who see the disintegration of the family as a root cause of social evil will make those points. It would be wiser to say a mentally deranged person committed acts of dreadful evil.

A friend sent me a petition from MoveOn.org that wants to "put an end to" the violent rhetoric they say has "exploded" in American politics in the past two years. When "put an end to" means "terminate or abolish" and can be a synonym for "pull the plug," it seems to me we're still in the realm of "explosive" rhetoric. Instead of playing "Now I've Got You..." let's try to tone down our talk even when we're convinced that we're right and someone else is dead wrong.

I offer the energy of my prayers for family members who have been devastated by Saturday's events, for first-responders who witnessed the horror, and neighbors who were swept up in it as well. And I pray that good persons will not be intimidated from seeking positions of public service.

Maybe we could begin with acknowledging the log that's in our own eye? And try to watch the language in the metaphors we choose to make our points.

--Jack Lohr, Interim Pastor

PS: You may know that I advocate all the responses (gun control, support for families and individuals who are in need of help, and watching our words), but now's not the time... If the family of Judge John Roll or Christina Taylor Green step forward later with a proposal, let's see how we can support them!