A message from Bishop Oliveto

To the People of the Mountain Sky Conference,

One more mass shooting…more families broken by violence…young lives lost while at school…

This unholy litany is one we can recite from memory, because it is happening with gut-wrenching regularity in the United States.

Children should not be afraid to go to school. People should not be concerned about being shot while grocery shopping. Theater goers should be able to enjoy a movie without noting where the emergency exits are.

The shortest verse in the Bible is John 11:35: “Jesus wept”. Jesus had just learned that his friend had died, and his grief was evident to all around him. But Jesus channeled that grief into action that brought about a healing. He came to the tomb and ordered it open, even though the stench of death would be strong. But neither his grief nor death itself could stop him from doing something: “Lazarus, come out!” A dead man started to walk, but that wasn’t enough. Jesus turned to the crowd and said, “Unbind him and let him go.”

Jesus models faithful action for us. Like Jesus, we are moved to tears by the loss of life. There is a heaviness in our chest that weighs us down. But Jesus calls us to channel that grief into right action, to call out so that communities can engage together in actions that free us from fear and violence.

The United Methodist Church urges “congregations to advocate at the local and national level for laws that prevent or reduce gun violence.”

If you are looking to find ways to address gun violence and create a climate of safety and compassion, there are resources in our church that I commend to you. See https://www.umcjustice.org/.../gun-violence-prevention for concrete steps you and your congregation can engage in.

We are followers of Jesus, the one who said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.” May God bless our efforts so that our children can attend school unafraid.

Love,

Bishop Karen Oliveto