I had a pretty disturbing dream not that long ago.

In this dream, my brother and I were at some sort of large Christian festival. The particular worship gathering we were at was outdoors, and there were thousands of people there. As we looked around, we saw that many of the people there had guns – all different kinds of guns, everything from 9-mm pistols to fully-automatic assault rifles.

While this in itself was unnerving, I soon saw something even more troublesome – there was a booth set up by the entrance to the worship gathering, where people were buying and selling guns and ammunition as they came in! It reminded me of the story of Jesus cleansing the temple – except in this case it was firearms being sold rather than animals for sacrifices.

When my brother and I saw this, we both decided to leave and worship elsewhere. Then I woke up.

Since that night, I have thought a lot about this dream and what it meant. While there were many disturbing things about it (including the commercialism and the potential for violence), what bothered me most was the blatant idolatry of the worshippers.

While these people were praising God with their lips, it was clear that the real focus of worship was the guns. It was the guns, not God, that they had placed their ultimate trust in.

It’s no secret that many people in this country have a love affair with guns. This has been the case for a long time now, but in times such as these (in the aftermath of school shootings), it seems even more prevalent. In the face of such tragedies, many people flock to the markets to arm themselves.

Why are people so obsessed with guns? There’s probably many reasons, but the main one that comes to mind is security. People want to feel safe, and having a gun seems to give them this. I may not be able to prevent all suffering, they think, but at least I can keep myself and my kids safe.

The problem is that guns don’t really provide the security they promise. Even if gun owners are well-trained and keep their guns locked away so as to prevent accidents, the scenarios in which guns might come in handy are pretty rare; and there’s no guarantee that even the best marksman will use them wisely in a moment of crisis.

The truth is that nothing, including guns, will be able to keep us from suffering and dying at some point. The sooner we realize this, the sooner we can stop worrying and begin to really live.

Jesus seems to have grasped this, which is why He tells His followers, “Those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for the sake of the gospel will save it” (Mark 8:35).

Jesus knows that all of our anxious striving is powerless to give us lasting security. Those who have caught a glimpse of eternity, by contrast, can live with true freedom.

Such people know their lives could end at any time, and this doesn’t faze them. Death has ceased to have any power over them, so they can live without fear.

It’s in this light that Jesus’ teaching to “turn the other cheek” (Matt 5:39) begins to make sense – as does His admonition to give to all who beg (Matt 5:42), and His warning that “all who take the sword perish by the sword” (Matt 26:52).

Those who have come to see that their true nature is immortal can really live for others, not counting the cost to themselves.

To those who have set all their hopes on the flesh (that is, on things that can be measured in material terms), this will probably seem like the height of foolishness.

But to those who can’t believe in eternal life, I issue this challenge: let’s suppose you are right, and this one earthly life is all we get. If that’s the case, how would you rather spend it – worrying about the future (which we have little control over in any case), or living joyfully in this moment, unconcerned with what might happen to you tomorrow? For me, the choice is clear.