This response was written to be read at my church on September 14, 2025.
Today, I have felt the need to speak a word to the Body about the killing of Charlie Kirk. Other people will address how his assassination affects the politics of our nation, or the movement he led. As an under-shepherd of Christ’s sheep, I want to address how this affects the church now and how it could affect the life and ministry of the church in future.
1) First, we should grieve the killing of a brother in Christ.
A question he was asked recently in an interview was, “For what would you like to be remembered?” And his clear answer was, his courage and his faith. He spoke often of the death of Christ for his sins and his trust in the risen Lord. He believed in the Christ of the gospel message. If he was motivated by his faith in Christ, and he was seeking to live in obedience to Christ, then he died for expressing his faith. This should grieve every Christian.
2) Second, we should be warned when someone, anyone, is killed for expressing an idea, a belief, or a conviction.
Charlie Kirk expressed many biblical values. His arguments on abortion, sexual ethics, and identity were decidedly in line with biblical teaching. The warning is that, if those views are no longer tolerated, we could easily lose our freedom to preach the gospel of Jesus and a biblical moral ethic. Our gospel is already seen by many as exclusive and intolerant.
3) Third, we must discern the work of the Enemy.
As the Body of Christ, the secret to our strength is the unity of the Spirit. In Ephesians 4, Paul told us to keep it. “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit (Eph. 4:3-4). With every crack in our spiritual unity, we give Satan a foothold. He loves when we question each other’s motives. He loves when we question each other’s calling and convictions. Wherever we stand on the political spectrum, an “Us vs. Them” mentality between believers just weakens the Body and its witness. There is only one church. And we share only one supreme loyalty to our Head, Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man.
4) Fourth, we can see the weaknesses of all political ideologies.
Political ideologies often demand that we be loyalty to the exclusion of others who have differing convictions. All political parties and ideologies are a mixture of righteousness and unrighteousness, even those which claim to be led by God. Human governments are temporary structures given by God to bring order and protection to people, until the new heaven and new earth. They are the systems we live in, under, and with, for now. They are fallen because they are run by fallen men and women. They are not redemptive, nor eternal. There is only one government that is both redemptive and eternal – the Kingdom of Christ.
5) Fifth, I encourage us to see the beauty of the American experiment.
Unique among nations, it was formed seeking to guarantee freedom to individuals, families, and communities, so they could determine how best to ensure human flourishing. Like other systems, it has proven to be imperfect. But over two and half centuries, the church around the world has benefitted from its blessings. The rights we enjoy have allowed the church to speak and spread the gospel around the world. Like the Roman roads that allowed Paul to move around the empire with his entourage, the freedom of speech we have in this nation has granted the church freedom to declare Christ and his glory without reservation. And any attack on this freedom should not be celebrated.
6) Sixth, anything we count as persecution, should spur us on to greater godliness and greater mission.
Our words and actions should offer Grace and Truth (John 1:18). We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15). And our words must be seasoned with salt as we interact with and in the world (Colossians 4:6). But we must also speak with courage. In the book of Acts, the church responded to persecution with a prayer for boldness. They didn’t take up arms, instead they prayed and preached. With every attack, the church became more dedicated to Christ and his Kingdom.
7) Seventh, we must never give up.
Our work in this world matters. Every neighborly act we perform, every sacrifice we make, every hope we give to others, every prayer we pray, every institution we serve in, every opportunity to love one another, every blessing we give is a gift of the Beauty, Goodness, and Truth of God. So, we must continue to do good in the here and now, without fear. And this always with the perspective that there is one eternal solution, that is faith in Jesus Christ. This is our chief calling and cause.
If you’d like to reach out, feel free to comment. I’ll respond and maybe a good conversation can begin. Or connect with us at Village Church of Lincolnshire.
My prayers are with you.