Charlie Kirk, a young conservative political commentator, was murdered in broad daylight yesterday in front of a large crowd.
It didn’t take long before that’s all anybody was talking about on social media. The responses to Charlie’s murder ranged all the way from “Well, he had it coming” to “When are we going to start shooting back at these folks?” Some of these kinds of responses came from fellow Christians.
I’ve been worried for a long time that we - Christians - have sacrificed the biblical way of thinking about life. We have lost what Harry Blamires called “the Christian mind,” and have surrendered ourselves to secular - worldly - thinking. We listen to what our favorite secular voices say we should feel, think, be, and do, and have ignored (or forgotten) what God has to say about these matters.
I understand that much of what I saw yesterday from some of my brethren was an emotional response. We are angry, sad, horrified, afraid, and indignant. I feel it too. Evil should bother us deeply. But how do we respond to it?
In moments like this, our words and actions show what’s really inside us. I’m reminded of what Jesus said about the sort of things that come out of us, and how it shows what’s in our hearts.
It is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth; this defiles a person…what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person. (Matthew 15:11, 18-20)
The individual who murdered Charlie Kirk demonstrated the evil that was in their heart. The people celebrating Kirk’s death are showing what’s in their hearts. The people who are calling for violence in return for his death are also showing what’s in their hearts.
My brethren and friends, will we listen to God’s word?
Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17-21)
God has appointed our governing authorities who do not “bear the sword in vain” and are God’s servants, “an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer” (Romans 13:4).
Do not take matters into your own hands. Do not escalate the situation by calling for more evil to combat evil. Do not stir people up by appealing to their anger and fear.
If we look and sound just like the world in times of tragedy and crisis - in times of evil, then what hope does the world have of seeing Jesus in us?
