“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Mass shootings are happening tragically often in the United States. Death tolls mount, communities grieve, officials debate, and tempers flare. What’s to be done?

Consider what has been tried and whether or not it has been effective. First, some insist that more education would help. After countless programs, classes, and other efforts, education has fallen woefully short in reducing gun-related deaths, injuries, crime, and heartache. Gun violence by the educated and uneducated continues to rise. Victims–educated and uneducated–multiply. Next, some argue that stricter laws on gun ownership would solve the problem. The age-old dispute continues. One side says, “Taking away guns is necessary since our children are dying.” Another side says, “Losing the freedom to protect ourselves and our loved ones is too high a price to pay.” Those who abide by stricter laws would be punished and vulnerable; those who violate stricter laws would be free to continue the carnage.

Christians have an important role in this matter. Remember that Paul the Apostle had a history of violence before his conversion to Christ. It was neither education nor legislation that changed him. It may sound simplistic to some, but he needed to become a new man. Neither more schooling nor stricter laws would have stopped him from bullying and threatening followers of Jesus.  A brand new life in Christ did. For Paul, old things passed away, and all things became new.

Imagine a heart so hopeless or enraged that murder seems reasonable. Then imagine that heart being transplanted, so to speak, with a heart of compassion, joy, patience, hope. Don’t merely rely on education or legislation for such things. They are pitifully weak. Give the gospel to those around you. With new hearts, they can exercise “gun control” as never before. In Christ, they can be new creatures.