Ending gun violence should be a religious goal and priority. The social and personal suffering it causes call for a “compassionate response to end [such] suffering.” How we strive to accomplish that will be a matter of ongoing conversation and action.

UUFH member, John Owens, a survivor of gun violence will share his thoughts and reasons for hope. Hundreds of national events and vigils will be held across the country in December to remember the 5th anniversary of the tragic Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings.

John Owens and Sara Hassinger, new UUFH members, moved to Hendersonville a couple of years ago. In 2005, while entering the lobby of a Detroit television station, John was shot and nearly killed by a man with a history of mental illness. Since that time, John has spoken about his experience and recovery at UU churches, participated in gun safety forums, and wrote Op-Ed columns to support common-sense gun legislation. An active member of the local chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Safety, he arranged for a screening of the documentary “Newtown” at the Flat Rock Cinema on Dec.11.