Transformation—but into what?

An individual who says yes to God is transformed and is blessed with a new way of looking at life, a new understanding of oneself and his world, and he must reorder his attitudes and priorities. A conversion also takes place in the life of one who believes a gun has the power to save and protect. She too becomes a new creation with a new way of looking at life, a new understanding of herself and her world, and she must reorder her attitudes and priorities. She develops a new spirit, which is akin to the idol itself. The new spirit of the idol captures “the new believer.” The gun is only a thing, but it is a thing with a spirit. If one loves mercy, does justice, and wants to walk humbly with God, one grows to be like God. That is God’s promise. Conversely, if one looks to tools of violence for deliverance, one grows to be like those tools. The psalmist’s words ring true: “Those who make idols are like them; so are all who trust in them” (Ps 115:8)—America and Its Guns: A Theological Expose, page 114