Gun Violence Awareness Month - June '23

​Dear friends and colleagues in Christ,

June is National Gun Violence Awareness Month. While we are all too aware of the gun violence that continues to trouble us, we are reminded in this season after Pentecost that we are not without the comfort, counsel, and courage of the Holy Spirit to address it.

While some will observe #WearOrange weekend this Sunday, and others will wear orange stoles and altar cloths throughout the month of June, there is still more that we can do:

• Include gun violence awareness in your Prayers of the People. There are a couple of other liturgical resources included below and more may be found at www.episcopalpeacefellowship.net;
• Invite gun violence survivors in your congregation to share their stories and/or lead the prayers;
• Remember that the web of gun violence is supported by many strands, including racism, gender injustice, domestic violence, despair, poverty, pollution, and more; discern together where your parish may be called to intervene to bring the hope of the gospel to the world around us;
• Support a local Guns to Gardens event – let your parishioners know that there is a way to turn weapons into tools for life (Christ Church, Fremont, and Church of the Epiphany, Euclid are each hosting safe surrender/buyback events on June 10);
• Write to your legislative representatives in Ohio and DC to advocate for gun violence reduction. The Episcopal Church’s Office of Government Relations has a call to action here, and a new Bill introduced this month in Ohio calls for the enactment of safe storage laws to keep guns out of the hands of children and others who should not have hands on them.

May the peace of God which passes understanding take root among us and grow exponentially in this season.

Rosalind +