“Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.” – Jude 1:1-2
The 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School motivated Mike Martin to put his Mennonite faith into practice, a way to address gun violence through direct means. He founded RAWtools a ministry whose mission is to “Disarm Hearts and Forge Peace”.
RAWtools accepts weapons donations, stripping them of metal. Then, using a process of smelting and metalwork, he turns these former firearms into handheld garden tools.
RAWtools visits cities nationwide with their message of peace, engaging gun violence survivors in a healing and restorative process around the anvil.
During these visits, survivors and those who have lost loved ones to gun violence gather in community centers, churches, and parking lots to share their stories. Outside, they approach the hot iron, hammer in hand, and — with each strike — release years of pain and grief. As a crowd stands by in witness, enveloping the scene with a community’s strength and support, the hammer is passed, and a new tool is forged.
Peace and protection can only be found in Jesus Christ. Today in prayer, give thanks to the Lord that in Jesus Christ, no matter what our situation is in life, we have peace.
“Who except God can give you peace? Has the world ever been able to satisfy the heart?” – Gerald Majella
God’s Word: “Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.” – 2 Peter 1:2
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