By: Keith Kappes
Columnist
Carter County Times
It was a scene I never could have imagined. A man standing at a church pulpit to deliver a closing prayer while wearing a loaded 9 mm semi-automatic pistol.
He had a soft voice and his prayer was for peace and safety and gratitude for the birth of Jesus Christ. The congregation answered his “Amen” with their own and the nearly 150 persons calmly walked out of the church sanctuary as they do each Sunday.
The weapon was not clearly visible under his unzipped jacket but he had worn the pistol several times in the open during previous worship services and there was no doubt that he was armed and had been each Sunday for the past two months.
He is a correctional officer at a federal prison and is authorized to carry his firearm concealed or openly at all times and in all places and especially during the ongoing violence in various parts of the world like the Mideast.
All of us are aware of the gun violence that has been occurring in schools, churches, and many other settings we once thought would always be a safe haven. And we know that a growing number of church members take concealed weapons to worship services and other church activities.
As I sat transfixed by the surreal scene, it seemed like reruns of too many video clips on the news channels where gunfire has shattered the quiet sanctity of a church or other house of worship. And frightened churchgoers ran screaming into the street.
No, there was nothing threatening in the man’s actions or in the words of his brief and humble prayer but knowing for sure that he was armed with deadly force in the Lord’s House made all of it into a sad commentary on today’s world.
And so very far removed from the life and teachings of the Prince of Peace.
Contact Keith at keithkappes@gmail.com
