Pastor's Corner: The real answer to gun violence

I am sure by now most of you reading this have heard about the many mass shootings throughout the last few decades. It is tragic all of the lives that have been lost to senseless violence.

Before you stop reading, I ask you indulge me a few more minutes. I am not going to argue for or against gun control or for more laws in regard to gun violence. I would argue that since the Columbine school shooting in the 1990s, we have passed many new laws and had countless hours of debate on this subject. My question, then, is this: Has any of it worked?

I would argue it has not. The problem is that we cannot legislate morality. We cannot legislate goodness into one another. No matter how well intentioned, all of these new laws fall short and will not achieve the desired outcome.

If it’s truly change that we seek, if we are serious about leaving a better world for our kids than we have now, there is only one answer. The answer is our world needs Jesus. Our world needs to see the love and grace from Jesus through each one of us.

If I can show the love of Jesus, and you can show the love of Jesus, we can change the world around us. The world does not need more of us pointing out shortcomings, failures and faults. The world needs to see more of the love of Jesus. I challenge you today to be the love the world needs in these unpredictable times.