King's comments on violence relevant today

Our take: "We must find an alternative to war and bloodshed." Martin Luther King Jr. spoke these words in the Washington National Cathedral just four days before he was killed. But in light of the many acts of gun violence recently, they are tremendously relevant today. In a column for Politico, Rev. Gary Hall discusses how the faith community has agreed on five basic principles to help stem senseless acts of gun violence, including strengthening "our mental health system to better support families" and reforming "our seemingly endless cultural glorification of violence."

The preacher who goes into Washington National Cathedrals massive Canterbury Pulpit must climb eight steps to get there. On the Sundays when I preach, I remember those who have spoken in that space before me. I think especially of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as I climb each one of those steps.

On Sunday, December 16, 2012, I climbed those eight steps and addressed the deaths of 28 people 20 of them children by gun violence in Newtown, Conn. I thought of Dr. King every step of the way. I tried, in that sermon, to articulate what God is calling the 21st-century faith community to do in the wake of shootings. And I came to this conclusion: The best way for us to mourn the Sandy Hook shooting is to mobilize the faith community for gun control.

Read more about solutions to gun violence on Politico.