Reflection on Charlie Kirk
September 11, 2025 - This Week's Thoughts
September 11, 2025 - Reflection on Charlie Kirk
You can always email me here.
Since I heard the news yesterday about the killing of Charlie Kirk, I’ve been thinking and praying about what to say and how to respond. I don’t often comment on things like this, but I felt like something was different today. There are things about Mr. Kirk that were admirable, and there were things that I disagreed with him about. For the record, I don’t agree on everything with anyone, including my wife, whom I love and would give my life for.
I have found myself swinging between sadness, despair, and anger. How did we get to this place in our moment in history where people resort to violence to quiet someone with whom they disagree?
Some will chalk it all up to “those evil people” on the opposite side of whichever political position they hold. I think this is too simplistic, and it causes us to look at people who are created in the image of God as less than or inhuman instead of as people who are captured by false teaching. People who were just as we were, lost in our sinful rebellion, before we repented and believed in Christ.
Our culture would have us take up arms, but scripture grounds us and tells us these truths that we must remember and build our lives on.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3, Paul tells the Corinthian church that, “…although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh...”
Just a few years after that, he tells the Ephesian church:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” Eph 6:12-18
Now is the time when we need to lean deeper into the truth of God’s word with the body of Christ and remember the gospel. I leave you with these words from the Apostle Peter.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3–7
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. 11 To him be dominion forever. Amen. 1 Pe 5:6–11
I understand that people’s emotions are raw at the moment. The hostility and rhetoric in our country have boiled over. The hope of the gospel and the justice of God must be greater than our desire for revenge.
I believe we are at a crucial moment in history when the church, people grounded in truth and led by the Holy Spirit, can, as Paul wrote to the Philippians, “…be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world.” Php 2:15.
May we be people of light to a dark world, and may Peter's words strengthen, comfort, and encourage us until we gather together again.
Pastor Kevin
You can always email me here.
Since I heard the news yesterday about the killing of Charlie Kirk, I’ve been thinking and praying about what to say and how to respond. I don’t often comment on things like this, but I felt like something was different today. There are things about Mr. Kirk that were admirable, and there were things that I disagreed with him about. For the record, I don’t agree on everything with anyone, including my wife, whom I love and would give my life for.
I have found myself swinging between sadness, despair, and anger. How did we get to this place in our moment in history where people resort to violence to quiet someone with whom they disagree?
Some will chalk it all up to “those evil people” on the opposite side of whichever political position they hold. I think this is too simplistic, and it causes us to look at people who are created in the image of God as less than or inhuman instead of as people who are captured by false teaching. People who were just as we were, lost in our sinful rebellion, before we repented and believed in Christ.
Our culture would have us take up arms, but scripture grounds us and tells us these truths that we must remember and build our lives on.
In 2 Corinthians 10:3, Paul tells the Corinthian church that, “…although we live in the flesh, we do not wage war according to the flesh...”
Just a few years after that, he tells the Ephesian church:
“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers of this darkness, against evil, spiritual forces in the heavens. For this reason take up the full armor of God, so that you may be able to resist in the evil day, and having prepared everything, to take your stand. Stand, therefore, with truth like a belt around your waist, righteousness like armor on your chest, and your feet sandaled with readiness for the gospel of peace. In every situation take up the shield of faith with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit—which is the word of God. Pray at all times in the Spirit with every prayer and request, and stay alert with all perseverance and intercession for all the saints.” Eph 6:12-18
Now is the time when we need to lean deeper into the truth of God’s word with the body of Christ and remember the gospel. I leave you with these words from the Apostle Peter.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead 4 and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you. 5 You are being guarded by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 You rejoice in this, even though now for a short time, if necessary, you suffer grief in various trials 7 so that the proven character of your faith—more valuable than gold which, though perishable, is refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:3–7
Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be sober-minded and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 1:13
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your cares on him, because he cares about you. 8 Be sober-minded, be alert. Your adversary the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion, looking for anyone he can devour. 9 Resist him, firm in the faith, knowing that the same kind of sufferings are being experienced by your fellow believers throughout the world. 10 The God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, establish, strengthen, and support you after you have suffered a little while. 11 To him be dominion forever. Amen. 1 Pe 5:6–11
I understand that people’s emotions are raw at the moment. The hostility and rhetoric in our country have boiled over. The hope of the gospel and the justice of God must be greater than our desire for revenge.
I believe we are at a crucial moment in history when the church, people grounded in truth and led by the Holy Spirit, can, as Paul wrote to the Philippians, “…be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world.” Php 2:15.
May we be people of light to a dark world, and may Peter's words strengthen, comfort, and encourage us until we gather together again.
Pastor Kevin
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