Responding Like Jesus to Charlie Kirk's Assassination

The reactions in the aftermath of

Charlie Kirk's assassination have been

predictably divided. While the division

and the tribalism in our country does

not surprise me, the question that

weighs more heavily on my mind is this.

Are Christians responding in a way that

truly honors Jesus? Welcome to Provoke

and Inspire, where I look at culture and

current events by asking, "What would

Jesus think and what would Jesus do?"

Over the last week, I have seen hundreds

of Charlie Kirk social media clips, and

I've been genuinely inspired by his

boldness and his willingness to publicly

shared what he believed to be true, no

matter the consequences. Sadly, the

consequences turned out to be extreme. I

pray for his family. I pray for the

entire country as we face a very serious

question. What kind of society do we

want to live in? The healthiest

societies are those in which people are

treated with dignity and ideas are

rigorously tested in the public squares.

And that's what Charlie was trying to

do. In the wake of this horrible

tragedy, I have been blown away by all

the positive responses it has produced.

Large gatherings of young people

expressing their love for Jesus and

their willingness to stand up for what's

true. High-profile celebrities speaking

out online, sharing their views, and

accepting whatever consequences come

their way as a result. It's been truly

inspiring. And here's my concern.

Instead of this producing a Jesus

movement, this produces a political

movement. And I'm not saying all

politics are bad. Of course not. But

politics and human ideologies will not

change the world. Only Jesus can. And

the way of Jesus stands in stark

contrast to the aggressive and hostile

spirit that so easily takes root. Jesus

was not interested in leading a

political movement. And he made that

abundantly clear. My concern is that

instead of sparking a movement marked by

sacrifice, mercy, boldness, and truth,

we simply deepen the divide. We may

become louder in speaking the truth. But

if we lose love, the Apostle Paul warns

that we become nothing more than

resounding gongs and clanging symbols.

Jesus was not arrogant. He was not

harsh. He spent his time with the lost,

the unpopular, the outcast. So as we

wrestle with how to respond, we have to

proclaim the truth boldly. Yes. But it

has to flow from a genuinely broken

heart for those who don't think like us

and even those saying or doing hateful

things in response to this tragedy. We

cannot allow Satan to twist this moment

into a battle against people. Again, the

Apostle Paul reminds us that we don't

wrestle against flesh and blood, but

against powers and principalities.

People are not our enemies. And if this

produces hostility and arrogance in us,

we undercut the very power Jesus gives

us to bring real and eternal change. So

yes, pray for the family. Mourn with

those who mourn. This is horrible. This

is evil. But also use this time to pray

for those who think differently. Let God

break your heart for those who are far

from him. Start genuine conversations.

Reach across the aisle. If you truly

want to honor Charlie's memory, do what

I believe he tried to do. Love people

enough to actually speak with them.

Anything less will accomplish nothing.

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