STOP Gun Violence Through Prayer, Education and Action

by Clare Mackie

The most critical element in effecting a change in views on handgun violence is to raise awareness to a higher level. Beyond reading the newspaper and despairing over shootings in our cities, most people feel that there is nothing they can do about it. Our STOP program seeks to empower people and show them that there are many things they can, and should, do to reduce the carnage.

The STOP program began as a plan to organize an event at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Pennsylvania to involve the congregation in a one-day consciousness-raising on handgun violence. As discussion progressed, our small task force decided that the event really needed to be a communitywide effort, with invitations to members of all the surrounding churches, temples and synagogues to join us in planning the event. A wonderful core group of 15 interfaith participants worked from early fall until the day of the event in May ‘07 to create a day based on three critical elements: prayer, education and action.

We chose a Sunday afternoon to accommodate all of the different faiths, and made it only a half day from 2-5:30. We began with a short interfaith prayer service in the sanctuary that featured religious leaders from three different faiths, a representative from the Philadelphia school system and laymen. It was a formal service with prayer, inspirational words from people directly affected by gun violence and a special litany composed for audience participation. Prayer cards were also handed out to everyone, reminding them to continue to pray for an end to handgun violence. This was one of the “prayer” elements for the day.

Workshops followed in seven areas of the church’s activities building. Participants could choose at least three of these workshops to attend, including sessions on:

• Understanding the One Handgun a Month proposal
• Forming grassroots action groups
• Resolving relational conflict
• Dealing with violence-related trauma
• Exploring political cartoons
• Influencing legislators
• Composing effective letters

For these workshops, we invited well-known writers, activists, cartoonists, psychologists, poets and others whom we felt could each tackle a piece of the “education” part of the day. We also had a special art teacher who brought materials for people, especially children, to express their feelings about gun violence through their drawings; these were immediately hung in a clothesline display. There was a small conversation area for participants to discuss what they were learning throughout the day, and a huge collection of relevant articles, photographs and brochures on the subject were available there. Snacks and soft drinks were served by a group of teens from a private school that handed out buttons as well. A local children’s bookseller manned a retail table of books related to conflict resolution, peace and caring.

For the “action” element, we featured a centrally located room prepared ahead of time with computer access to names and addresses of all of the legislators. During the entire afternoon, everyone was persuaded to take the time to write letters to their state legislators, and we provided the paper, envelopes, pens, stamps and a complete letter that they could copy or modify to their liking. They wrote in support of the One Handgun a Month proposed legislation, and many people who could not attend the whole event still made a point of writing letters. There was a take-home action kit for every attendee, with brochures, prayer cards, action opportunities, reading lists and other relevant materials. A postcard with questions prompting feedback was also included in the packet.

Surrounding the open courtyard of the building, we hung a show of children’s art from two inner city schools that depicted their ideas for resolving the gun crisis. Older students contributed written treatises on the subject for the show. The art show remained in the church for a month following the event and was quite a draw. Children and youth have a direct way of addressing problems that cuts through all of the adult excuses and dozens of people visiting the church commented on the effectiveness of the colorful pictures in raising their awareness of the problem.

The afternoon ended with a wheelchair-bound survivor of gunfire speaking about the hundreds of victims who live with the aftereffects of gun violence every day. His inspirational talk was followed by a closing pastoral prayer.

That evening we held a candlelight vigil, lighting a candle for each of the victims of gunfire in our area, as we did each Sunday throughout the year. This visual on the front lawn of the church was a growing, looming reminder of individual tragedies occurring every day. Prayers were offered and then silence was observed as carillon bells in the church tower tolled slowly for each victim.

The luminaries were actually started as a publicity “visual” for the May event, but with the numbers of victims growing substantially each week (hundreds by the end of the year) the vigils became events in themselves. It was a stunning reminder to all who passed and effectively combined the prayer, education and action pieces of our purpose. A kiosk remains in the event venue, exhibiting a changing display of political cartoons, requests for action and commentary on handgun violence, and a Web site was developed to allow other groups to access the logos and other information helpful for planning a similar event. The STOP group was honored with the 2007 Stand for Peace award given by the Metropolitan Christian Council of Philadelphia for “its concern for handgun violence in the city and its work to raise awareness in the suburbs, pressuring legislators with a huge letter writing initiative and honoring the victims of gun violence with candlelight vigils throughout the entire year on the front lawn of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church.” But the most important outcome of the event is that a large suburban community is now very aware of the layers of problems that lead to handgun violence and has already taken steps to be part of the process that will eliminate it.

Clare Mackie is the Coordinator of the STOP Gun Violence Through Prayer, Education & Action initiative.