Circle of Hope

I’m a Christian. Therefore I am called to be a peacemaker, shalom seeker, justice worker, and reconciler. This carries with it the neces­sity of responding to evil. For me it means asking the question, what violence is destroy­ing the Shalom of the community? I live in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and gun violence continually tears down the Sha­lom of my city. More people die in the city of Philadelphia each year by gun violence than the total number of people killed by it in the entire country of Canada or any of the Western European countries (Statistics from Ceasefire PA). Last year, 280 people in Phil­adelphia were shot to death. The year before 331 people were killed by guns. In 2006, it was 344 people and in 2005, 300 people died (Statistics from Philadelphia Inquirer). People being gunned down in the streets where I live are symptoms of larger ills. Glo­rification of violence, loss of respect for life, criminality, joblessness, drugs, racism and under-funded schools are just some root causes that bring about conflicts. Because guns are so easily accessible in Philadelphia, these conflicts tend to turn violent and, of­ten, fatal. These root causes have no quick-fixes. It requires the work of generation after generation to rectify them. It’s ongoing work that must be done. Then there are those moments when we must show that we are paying attention; that we will not accept the violence; that we care too much for our neighbors and that we are commanded by Jesus to love our enemies, to step out in bold, risky ways to say enough is enough. This past January, I went with four other people of faith into a gun shop in Philadel­phia to do something about gun violence. We had come together for a national peace gathering called Heeding God’s Call: A Gath­ering on Peace. The gun shop we visited has long been known by both law enforcement and criminals as a prime source of illegal guns in Philadelphia. We went into the store to ask the owner to sign a code of conduct intended to help stem the flow of handguns to the illegal market by reducing the so-called “straw buying” that feeds it. Straw buyers stand in for gun traffickers at gun shops to make bulk purchases that end up on the street. Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition and Wal-Mart created the code of conduct. This was not the first time the gun store owner had seen the code of conduct or had been asked to sign it. Before the five of us came into his store, he met multiple times with a delegation of religious leaders to learn about the code and listen to the del­egation’s plea to sign it. He said he would not sign it. He also told the five of us who came into his store that he would not sign it. While we waited for him to sign it, we were arrested and then spent the night in jail. Two days later, another seven people from the peace gathering attempted to ask the owner to sign the code. They were also ar­rested. The 12 of us will stand trial together on May 26, 2009. As we stand trial, so too will the violence that chokes our city. Asking the question, “what violence is destroying the Shalom of my community,” and deciding to act out in a way to reduce the violence was only the beginning of my journey. Responding to the evil of gun vio­lence also required me to stand down my fears. While we were in the gun shop, the police tried to frighten us by saying if we went to jail we could be kept with murder­ers and rapists. We needed to think about our careers. With arrest records, we’d never get government jobs. In the midst of this, we never wavered. I had a great sense of calm, which I know came from God. However, the fears flooded in as I was being fingerprinted hours later. This was my low point. Lots of thoughts flashed through my mind. What would this mean for me if I want to adopt children? What kind of jobs have I forfeited? How would I get bailed out of jail? They were somewhat irrational questions, because deep down I knew the answers. But it was a moment of reckoning. However, in the hours that followed, I was comforted by the existence of the Church. Communities of Christians provide alternative systems for people to live, work, follow their faith and conscience and find support. Through the night, such a sense of peace visited me. Biblical characters and historical figures came to mind who have been jailed for what they believed their faith compelled them to do. They gave me resolve. I felt liber­ated from fear—the kind of fear that keeps you maintaining the status quo and keeps you from stepping out to face down violence while hopefully demonstrating another way. I realized I could confront my fears and fol­low where I feel Jesus leads me. All of this was done and experienced in concert with others who were a part of the peace gathering. This is a crucial component to responding to evil. Eleven other people were sitting in jail cells. Others were tracking us through the system throughout the night. Some were strategizing the next steps. Many gave and loaned money for our bail and legal fees. So many people were praying. Groups of people spent the next two days standing vigil in front of the gun shop. I’m utterly convinced that making peace and respond­ing to evil must be done in community with one another and centered on God. Mimi Copp lives in Shalom House in Philadelphia, a ministry of the Circle of Hope Brethren in Christ Network. For more about the Gathering on Peace and Mimi’s act of resistance, read the article for In Part online at bic-church.org/inpart/2009summer An article about the trial and acquittal on May 26, 2009 of Mimi and her co-defendants is online at philly.com/inquirer/columnists/monica_yant_kinney/46198177.html

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 9th, 2009 at 2:16 pm by Mimi Copp and is filed under Action, Dialogue, Peace. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.