I would like to believe that most people who know me do not think of me as an extremist or someone who overreacts to whatever the latest news cycle is covering, being constantly in fear that the end of the world, or America, is at hand. Yet, I found myself telling my wife on one of our many evening walks on September 11th that I believed what happened the day before would be a significant turning point in the history of our country, and would shape the political and cultural landscape for years to come. I believe that it will be one of those moments that millions of people look back on and remember exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard that Charlie Kirk had been assassinated while speaking at a college campus in Utah.
There are so many layers of issues to unravel surrounding this tragedy, which even the word tragedy doesn’t seem to do justice to what we must now face. First and most importantly, a wife is now without her husband, who should have been with her for at least another 40 or 50 years. Secondly, two very young children are left without their father, one of whom will never remember him. Third, one of, if not the most important conservative political voices right now was made to be silent. Fourth, one of the core values he stood for, freedom of speech, is now (literally) under attack more than ever before in this country. Fifth, a courageous witness and brother in Christ has been martyred for his faith.
Charlie was a man who stood for truth shamelessly, unapologetically, and boldly. He was a great advocate for the family, for life, for faith, and for truth in general. And it was for this reason that his life was taken from him. We can take any one of the five angles of his death above, and each one would be a tragedy in its own respect. Take all of them, and more, together, and we could be given great reason to grow weary and lose heart in our fight for the truth. It would be easy to now cower in fear, as Jesus’s disciples did when they hid in an upper room after his death, and stay silent, which is exactly what Charlie Kirk’s shooter, and all who celebrate it, want us to do.
A few days after the shooting, in God’s providence, I found myself reading John 13-16 in my Bible reading plan. This is known as the Upper Room Discourse, where Jesus gives his final words of teaching, admonition, and encouragement to his disciples before he is delivered over to be crucified. This is a passage that is very beloved and familiar to me, and to many other Christians. Yet, I found many of the verses in this passage striking me in a new way in light of the recent events. I found myself even more comforted and confident that “…surely the people are grass.
The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:7-8).
This “comfort” that we as Christians feel, even when the world seems to be going from bad to worse, is not just a feeling; it is a Person. “But the Helper [also translated Comforter], the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (John 14:26, cf. 14:16). When there is evil in the world and we are tempted to fall into discouragement and hopelessness, it is the work of God to remind us of his truths and promises, holding us fast until the end.
At the final meal that Jesus would share with his disciples, John draws back the curtain and reveals to us the heart of Christ. Though he would be going away soon, we are told that Jesus “loved his own who were in the world, [and] he loved them to the end” (13:1). The love that Jesus has for those who are washed by him (13:8), love him, and keep his commandments (14:15) knows no end.
This is why he tells his disciples to “let not your hearts be troubled” twice (14:1, 27). His love for them has no end, and it will extend into eternity when they are brought into the place that he is going to prepare for them, where they will be with him forever (14:2-3). And until then, the peace that he gives, which is unlike any peace that the world can offer, will reign in their hearts (14:27). To know this peace, to truly know it, we must abide in Christ. Just as a branch cannot produce any fruit unless it is connected to the tree, so also we cannot please God unless we walk in step with Jesus (15:4-5).
Following Jesus, as we have seen from this past week, is dangerous. It is not safe to not just believe the things he taught, but to proclaim and teach them as he did. It will bring hatred from the world to stand up on the truth of God’s Word and say things like:
- Abortion is murder, and children are a gift from the Lord.
- Homosexuality is a sin.
- Marriage is only between one man and one woman.
- The husband is the head of the home.
- Transgender ideology is a lie and an attack on the character of God.
- Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life.
If the world hated Jesus, they will also hate us (John 15:18-21). But this should not be an excuse for us to shy away from the truth and be silent. That is what everyone who, in any way, tries to justify Charlie Kirk’s murder wants: they want to snuff out the truth and all who believe it. Hear me clearly when I say that now is not the time to retreat and surrender. It is not the time to hide and stay quiet. It is not the time compromise and give in. It is time to double down on the truth, and become even louder in our proclamation of it.
We must continue to march on, keeping in mind Jesus’s words in John 16:1, “I have said all these things to you to keep you from falling away.” He said this immediately after warning his disciples of the danger that would oppose them for following him. He intends to build his Church not in spite of suffering, but through suffering. It is in times of trial that our belief in the Word of God is put to the real test.
In the very last verse of John 16, Jesus gives a second and final reason for giving his disciples these words of assurance. “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world” (16:33). There are three promises packed into this one verse. There is one negative promise, and on either side of it there are two positive promises. First, there is the negative promise that we will face tribulation as we seek to uphold the truth of the Bible. That is certain, as we have seen from this past week. But before this, we are promised peace going into this tribulation, and coming out of the tribulation, we are given the greatest possible promise: Christ has overcome the world. Whatever the world does to us ultimately has no sway on our eternal hope and destiny. What’s the worst thing that can happen to us, death? To quote the late John MacArther, “All death can do to a believer is deliver him to Jesus.”
I know that for those of us who desire to see change in our country, that is, change in a Godward way, something shifted in us when we heard the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Certainly, it was a shift in compassion and sorrow for his family. But I believe it was also a wake-up call. No more being lukewarm. No more casual Christianity. One of our own was just murdered in public for believing and expressing the same things many of us profess to believe.
I said at the beginning of this post that I believe September 10th will be a significant turning point in the history of our country, and that it will shape not only the political and cultural, but also the theological landscape for years to come. The question is, will we seize this turning point to do good, continuing to fight the good fight of the faith with more hope, courage, and boldness than before, knowing that Christ has already overcome and won the victory, or will we shrink back from the moment, letting evil and sin continue to prevail?
Above All Things 