Bishop Coyner, bishop of the Indiana United Methodist Conference, addressed the recent school shooting in Ohio in his “E-pistles.” He writes that it is time to confess that we, as Americans, are a violent people. We need to realize that our violence is deeper than guns and shootings. It seems to be in the fabric of our hearts. He writes:

It even happens in the church, people threaten one another, take sides, gather allies to “do battle” with those who disagree, and threaten to withhold money or love or support if they don’t get their own way. Violence is not just about shooting someone, sometimes it is about channeling hatred in nasty e-mails, gossip, and libelous comments on Facebook.

via “The Shooting Gallery Called America”.

I encourage you to take a look at the full article. Maybe looking into our own hearts at how we interact with people at work, at church, at the ball games, and on social media may give us insight into some violent tendencies we have, but may not recognize them as such. Perhaps it is time to live out the hymn, “Let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me.” May the Prince of Peace be the ruler of your heart.