This is my sentiment. These are my words – spilling out from a hurt and heavy heart – into you. I am exhausted. I am tired from crying, and I don’t want to be anymore.

I am not sure if this is the right time to say these next few things – but they must be said and if I am the one to say them then so be it. I am no longer afraid to believe what I believe and speak the truth.

On June 11, singer, YouTuber, and sister in Christ Christina Grimmie was shot by a deranged man while signing autographs for her fans only to later die in the hospital. On June 12, a second deranged man, shot and killed 49 people inside the Pulse night club, wounding many more. Both tragic events took place in Orlando, Florida. It was truly a saddening and scary weekend for our nation.

Here is what I, as a Christian and a devoted Disciple of Jesus Christ, need to say.

1. Everyone matters to God.

Regardless of a person’s religion, political stances, race, gender, age, weight and sexual identity... we all matter to God. Everyone matters to God.

2. God does not delight in death.

No matter who the person is. No matter if a person is in the LGBTQ+ community, straight, Muslim, Jewish, Catholic, Baptist, a man, woman, child... God does not delight in the death of people.

Every person has been created by God and bears His image. The technical term is the Imago Dei. Meaning God created every man and woman in His image – Genesis 1:27.

Know this: Death was brought upon by the actions of humans and the Devil, not God. God allows death, and He created death because of the choices made by man in Genesis 3. God may have created death, but it was because of mankind that He even had too; it is a part of His creation that He does not delight in.

3. Faith without deeds is dead — James 2

Prayer is great. it is a fundamental part of the Christian life; it is necessary for life in of itself. But prayer is NOT the end. Your prayers must be followed up with acts (deeds) to back up your words.

Words are cheap – tweets are even cheaper.

So how about we stop simply praying for the hurting, and we go to them and embrace them and empathize with them?

To the hundreds of people who lined up in Orlando to give blood — You can’t see my one man standing ovation, but that’s what I am doing. To the Chick-Fil-A that opened its doors on a Sunday, made food and gave all the money they made to those in need during this time… another standing ovation.

So you see, dear Church body, there is a time to get on your knees and pray, but there is an even greater time to get on your feet and do something.

4. The Constitution is not scripture.

You’re right, guns don’t kill people — People kill people. You’re right, a person can still kill with a baseball bat, a knife, a bow and arrow, and people will always be able to buy guns at black markets and such.

You’ve got me there, Republicans.

However, the AR-15 used to obliterate 49 human lives in mere minutes is not something, a baseball bat, knife, or bow and arrow can do.The average U.S. citizen, or even average human, should not be able to get their hands on something that can kill so many so quickly.

The second Amendment must be either re-written or stricken from the Constitution. This is about gun reform.

If you are not Law Enforcement, private security or in the active military then you shouldn’t have a gun of that caliber. Freedom is not worth having if it means we lose hundreds of lives each year because it is all too easy to get our hands on weapons of such mass destruction.

The Constitution is not the Bible, and I have grown weary of Christians treating it like it is.

5. America needs to relearn the art of mourning.

The American public has lost the ability to mourn and mourn correctly. Immediately, I saw people respond in two ways to both of these events. People either blamed guns or they blamed religion and then simply stamped a hashtag “#PrayforOrlando” or “#PrayforChristina” and called it good.

No.
That’s not mourning. That’s politics.

Mourning looks and sounds like silence. I sat for a couple hours on Sunday, June 12, alone and outside under the hot sun simply praying to God and letting whatever tears came, fall from my eyes. I was, and still am, upset. But I could not take to the internet and just start blaming people or God for these events. I took two days to either be silent of the issue or to talk to my Creator about it.

So Christians think with me for a moment – is my freedom to own such a devastatingly powerful gun truly worth the lives of others? Because currently it looks and sounds like we would rather have our guns than our neighbors.

Know that this article, these thoughts are backed up by much prayer and scripture. Know that, as a Christian, I will now begin fighting for real safety – for the removal of such powerful guns from the hands of average civilians, keeping those immensely powerful guns in the hands of those who actually need them: The Police, Private Security and Active Members of the Armed Forces.

Know that you can say whatever you want to me – I am open to listen to anyone. Let’s have an honest and kind discussion on the matter.

Know that I love God more than my American freedoms. I am blessed to live in a free nation, but I am more in love with God than America.

Know that I hold God’s Word above the Constitution for they are not the same nor on the same level.

Know that some “freedoms” don’t really make us free, they enslave us to fear. Let’s keep freedom of speech and freedom of Religion, but the “freedom” to own such powerful guns and weapons of mass destruction do not make me feel free; they make me feel afraid.

This is me taking the only action I know how to right now.

This is me a 22-year-old Graduate student getting off his knees and standing on his feet, ready to take action.

This is me, Kyle Cryan, saying that I am done with the Second Amendment. No person should have the right to buy a weapon like the AR-15 so easily.

This is Kyle Cryan, for all he is worth, calling for gun reform.

For more information on what happened to Christina Grimmie click here.

For more information on the massacre in Orlando click here.

To take action and sign a petition to ban the AR-15 from being used by civilians, click here.

To tweet at your Local congressional representative asking them to end gun violence, click here.

To hear learn more about how Everyone Matters to God follow @NorthridgeRochester on twitter or click here to find them on Facebook.

Be Safe.