Faith, Firearms and One Minister’s Journey

On Tuesday, May 10, PBS will nationally broadcast the documentary film The Armor of Light, followed by a town hall meeting with evangelical leaders held at Northland Church in Orlando, Florida. Check your local listings.

In a gripping portrait, director Abigail E. Disney follows the journey of an evangelical minister trying to find the moral strength to preach about the growing toll of gun violence in America. The Armor of Light tracks Rev. Rob Schenck, pro-life activist, head of Faith and Action and the presiding leader of the Evangelical Clergy Alliance, who questions whether being pro-gun is consistent with being pro-life. Rev. Schenck is shocked and perplexed by the reactions of his long-time friends and colleagues who warn him away from this complex, politically explosive issue. Along the way, Rev. Schenck meets Lucy McBath, the mother of Jordan Davis, an unarmed teenager who was murdered in Florida and whose story has cast a spotlight on “Stand Your Ground” laws. Also an evangelical Christian, McBath’s personal testimony compels Rev. Schenck to reach out to pastors around the country to discuss the moral and ethical response to gun violence.

In expanded efforts to continue a prayerful and biblical conversation on guns and gun violence, Rev. Schenck and other evangelical leaders have launched a new website called Sword of the Spirit—A Christian Conversation on Gun Violence. Created to be a “safe place” for pastors, evangelical leaders and laymen, the site provides pastoral resources, inspiration, articles and a forum where all can be encouraged to seek out biblical guidance on the issue of guns and gun violence in America (swordofthespiritministry.org).

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