Franciscan Fractal
Contemplating Today’s Culture through the Eyes of St. Francis & the Life of Christ
“The Church and the Not-So-Obvious”
How deep I find your thoughts, O God!
how great is the sum of them! Psalm 139:16
Robin W. Westman killed two children, injured 18 others, and then killed herself this past month at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. There have been 286 mass shootings so far this year according to the Gun Violence Archive.1 Sorrow, anger, and a desire for revenge have flowed from this incident, which has paralleled the feelings generated by others affected by such mass shootings
Several factors in this shooting have, nonetheless, not seriously been considered by the media. The event initially brings up questions of, “Who was killed? How many were killed? Who was the shooter?” And, “How could this have happened and have been prevented?” Somehow, we are interested in the facts, as though knowledge of the facts will quell anxiety and fear.
While these questions are a normal part of gathering information around any tragedy, the questions that are NOT being asked may lead to more insight than those routinely asked by the media. For Christians who believe in a loving God, there are deeper inquiries that demand a closer observation of what transpired.
“How could this have occurred in a church? How could a former student of a Catholic school commit this crime? How could a person commit suicide when the church’s teachings prohibit it?” These are moral questions, as well as deep theological ones. Could the media be overlooking elements for which only the Christian church may have insights?
To say that this person who committed the shootings was a “murderer” is correct. However, to say that this person is a “monster,” as the White House press secretary claimed, is to hinder dialogue by Christians around the repeated violence in schools. Pigeon holing always ends a discussion. To murder someone indicates an action. To label a person as a ‘monster” dehumanizes a person, who most likely already feels dehumanized. While murderers can be incarcerated, “monsters” always need to be destroyed, because they are no longer viewed as human.
And, then we need to ask, “What happened to a God seeing everyone as having innate dignity?” Dignity in God’s sight can never be lost, even as a criminal. Lest we forget, Christ was crucified as a criminal, along with two other criminals, to one of whom he told, “. . . today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)
Let me be clear. Dignity always requires compassion. Yet, compassion is not the same as mercy. In executing societal law, one may or may not elect to show mercy; but in the context of God’s law, one must always show compassion in order to preserve dignity. The law’s sole purpose is to curb evil in society and to expose humanity's inability to fulfill God's commands.2
There are multiple ongoing studies investigating the causes of mass shootings that include drugs, mental illness, family dysfunction, easy access to guns, online hate groups, transgender identification, and previous shootings as a model for acting in a similar manner. However, no one is asking about the church’s possible contribution to gun violence despite previous church shootings. Why would a shooter not steer clear of a place that teaches God’s love?
Historically, the church has been seen as an arbitrator between what is considered “right” and what is “wrong.” Yet, the actions of mass shooters often demonstrate that they do not know the difference between right and wrong. Their mindsets are outside of the norms. What triggers this disconnect?
Scripture presents God as a relational being, and allows us to address this apparent contradiction. While the church may proclaim that it is loving, warm, and inclusive, there are those who have not experienced the church in this manner. Claiming to have a transgender identity (as Robin Westman did) in the church today is a case in point. Imagine what it must have been like to have gone to a Catholic school that discourages or prohibits transgender identity and expression. In whom could you confide? And, if you publicly self-identified, who would be your friend on this journey with its challenges? Classmates? Clergy? Administration? A God who dwells abstractly in heaven?
Every person experiences a relationship with God through human contacts that are life affirming. Without intimate connections, the nature of human being is to become angry, isolated, and vengeful – in a never ceasing desire for connection. Thoughts become circular and are amplified. The circle of self-directed hate gets projected onto others, including other groups of people and eventually onto one’s self (suicide). Talking while in relationship with another person can break this cycle.
Why was hate directed at the children at the Annunciation Catholic Church? The answer is most likely multifaceted. The students at the Mass may have represented the age of when the shooter felt most rejected by peers. It was an opportunity to get “even.” Moreover, the Mass itself may have represented hatred toward a church that was non-embracing of a transgender identity, in the context of a repeated mantra of “God loves the you, that we think you should be.”
So, are we then to simply implicate the Catholics as a contributing factor in the mass shooting? Probably not. Other churches and denominations are not exempt from introspection and self-reflection. Silence itself can be an equally strong indicator of trouble, especially in churches where “All are Welcome” signs are displayed outside of their buildings. Those who have experienced bigotry from prior church exposures see such signs as warnings to stay away. All are welcome . . . unless it’s your kind!
Moreover, silence inside the church is not always perceived as an issue by members of a church. Friendliness is no substitute for a visible declaration of inclusivity. Small images can also convey hope for the new visitor, who might fear experiencing rejection once again.
Can any understandings and/or explanations justify the tragedy in Minneapolis? NO! Yet, it can encourage us as the church to redouble our efforts in preaching AND living the gospel. As children of God, we are all complicit in participating in a world that defies the inclusive and relational nature of God. While mass shootings may seem to occur elsewhere (at least for now), the question that still remains for us is, “What do we need to do to open our eyes to see the relational work of a God that is often hidden beneath the not-so-obvious?”
Prayers and Blessings,
Fr. John
1 https://www.gunviolencearchive.org/reports/mass-shooting
2 Bornkamm, Heinrich. Luther’s Doctrine of the Two Kingdoms, Philadelphia, 1966 38:233n
