So, I suppose, like everyone else, I need to have an opinion on Charlie Kirk’s murder. Murder is vile. Those who perpetuate violence are those who allow themselves to be led by anger, vengeance, pride and all the other myriad of sins that lead us away from our God.

What comes to mind for me, is “put your sword back into its place, for all who take the sword will die by the sword.” The praise and advocacy for violence has led us as a society to lower our threshold for violence. The more we talk about it, the more we advocate that the world would be better with just a few sudden acts of violence, the closer we bring
ourselves to the brink of that same violence.

If we declare it okay to use violence to get our ends in a few specific circumstances. We open the door to violence being considered a legitimate means of settling disagreement. Jesus’ statement is unequivocal, “ALL, who take the sword WILL die by the sword.” Those
who take the sword in word will find more swords in their life, for and against them.

We cannot in our pride of understanding God, try and take the place of God. I believe that God, through Christ, taught us to, above all things, love God and love our neighbor. So, I follow God in loving my neighbor, whoever they are, whatever they believe. But it is not for me, nor you, to advocate for judgement, nor to apply that judgement against our
fellow creatures. I have heard this week those who advocate against capital punishment praising the action of a lone gunman. Hypocrisy is unbecoming, and unfaithful.

Allow me to leave this by finishing what Jesus has to say to the disciple with the sword: “Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?”

The power, the judgement, and the future belong to God and God alone. Not to you, not to me.

May we find peace,

May we find our faith.