A blacksmith turns weapons into gardening tools

September 28 — LIMA — The sound of a hammer hitting metal in downtown Lima on Saturday symbolized the transformation of firearms into gardening tools. The tools were presented to the city of Lima and the Lima-Allen neighborhoods in partnership.

The Center for Reconciliation hosted the inaugural “Growing Seeds of Peace” event with RAWtools, attracting community members eager for inspiration. Paula Syner Belousek, co-director and volunteer of the Center, expressed the motivation behind the event.

“It’s inspired by the idea that something that can take a life can be transformed into something that can cultivate life,” she said.

Amateur blacksmith and pastor Joel Shenk explained how his passion for blacksmithing aligns with his pastoral work.

“As part of our testimony of faith, I learned how to take a gun and turn it into a gardening tool, inspired by the prophetic vision of the Bible where Isaiah and Micah speak of transforming destructive things into life-giving tools ” he said. explain.

Shenk has been pastor of Toledo Mennonite Church for 14 years and has been working with RAWtools since 2016.

Shenk’s efforts reflect a broader commitment to community healing, echoed by the Lima Police Department’s participation in the event. They hosted a gun safety workshop, emphasizing the importance of responsible gun ownership for both gun owners and non-gun owners.

“Owning a gun is as big a decision as choosing who you decide to live with as an adult,” said Lima Police Maj. Ron Holman.

Holman also demonstrated how to safely discharge a firearm and emphasized the need to store firearms safely, especially out of reach of children.

In addition to the workshops, participants heard several stories from gun violence survivors and participated in a session led by Crime Victim Services.

Contact Cade Higgins at 567-242-0351

Featured local economies