The View from Bolton Street

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Matthew 19:13-15 

Once more for the governor of Texas, the U.S. Senate, and the National Rifle Association….

Then little children were being brought to him in order that he might lay his hands on them and pray. The disciples spoke sternly to those who brought them; but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.’ And he laid his hands on them and went on his way.

Matthew 19:13-15 

If America is indeed a Christian nation, we are not a very good one, at least when it comes to how we treat our children.  We pretend that school shootings are an unpreventable and unpredictable phenomenon rather than actually do something to stop them. 

Rather than blame guns we blame mental health—but then we cut mental health supports in schools. 

Rather than blame guns we blame broken homes—but refuse to change incarceration policies that result in the overwhelming percentage of the incarcerated being young Black men. 

Rather than blame guns we blame a lack of prayer—but then we tell anyone gay, trans, foreign, non-english speaking that they are not welcome in Church. 

Rather than blame guns— we say we need MORE GUNS. More guns in schools, in malls, in churches, everywhere.  In Lakeland there was a ‘good guy with a gun’ who could not stop the bad guy with a gun. In Uvalde, Texas there were two.  They were not able to prevent the murder of 18 children in an Elementary school. 

What must Jesus think when he looks down at this supposedly Christian nation who continues to sacrifice children’s lives on the altar of gun rights?  He weeps, I am sure for the Children lost.  But even moreso he weeps for us. 

The Kingdom of Heaven does not belong to Colt, or Smith, or Wesson. It belongs to the Little Children - and the rest of us stand little chance of gaining admission if we don’t change something.