It is easy to be angry. It is easy to lash out. It is easy to hop on social media and shout. It is easy to feed into the schemes of the devil. In fact, I think he relishes in all the anger and hateful words being thrown around following the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I’ve seen posts on social media saying he was asking for it, followed by phrases like “you’re next, buddy.”
I remember as a kid, I helped my dad clear some brush from a section of the creek that ran behind our house. We piled it up with the intention to burn it. Dad attempted to light the fire, but it didn’t catch like he had hoped. He had a can of gasoline in the barn, so he ran back to grab it. As he stood on top of the brush pile, dousing it with gasoline, the gasoline hit an ember and ignited. Dad leapt off the pile before the flames engulfed him with the brush pile. When we allow our flesh to rise up in anger and frustration, saying things like “you’re next, buddy”, it becomes just like that gasoline hitting the ember. One drop and woosh, the entire brush pile is on fire. And the enemy laughs.
Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” Prior to this in Ephesians 5, he urges believers to be the light and not to participate in the evil deeds of the world. In verse 15-17 he writes, “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.” We ought not react in anger, rather let us “take every thought captive” (2 Cor 10:5) so that the Lord guides our response. Jesus taught us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:44).
Peter exhorts Christians who were facing persecution and suffering at the hands of an insane political leader, “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called, that you may obtain a blessing. For “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit; let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their prayer. But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:9–12 ESV) The same is true for us. We do not have political leaders burning cities just to blame Christians so that there’s an excuse to kill Christians, but the exhortation remains.
Statements taken out of context lead to misunderstanding of facts. Far too often, we will spend our time in our own echo chamber, hearing only the things we want to agree with and refuse to hear opposing voices. The entire idea of a democratic republic hinges on the concept of the free exchange of ideas. Conversations must happen. Conversations. Not yelling and screaming when someone offers solid evidence (evidence, not conjecture or emotions) which refute our particular stance. Perhaps there is even more solid evidence we can find to support our stance. Yelling and screaming does nothing. No one wins that way. Everyone wins when we can freely express our ideas and thoughts without any attempt to force another person into submitting to our ideas and thoughts. That submission must be the decision of the other and must never be forced upon them.
Join me in praying that our nation can heal. I don’t just mean heal from the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I mean heal from all the division which has infested our nation like a cancer, spreading to nearly every area of life. Pray for the families who have lost children to school shootings. Pray for the family of the Ukranian refugee killed on a transit train. Pray for the hearts of those bent toward evil that they and all impacted by that evil would come to realize their fallen, sinful nature and their need for a savior, and finding that savior is Jesus.
What we must not do is be silent, but as we speak, let us not dump gasoline on the brush pile. Let us instead “seek justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God.” (Micah 6:8)