When we sat down to dinner last night, my youngest son Josh, asked if he could be the one who prays\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cGod, thank you. Be with us. Be with all of your children. Be with all of us who are a child of God. Be with Charlie Kirk\u2019s family. We love you. Amen.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n I\u2019ll be honest. Sometimes my kid has more wisdom and grace than I. He knows who each of us is.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Allow us this day to be radically candid\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n How does a blogger blog in response to something so atrocious?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How does one respectfully write about an intentional, horrific killing?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n How does one speak of someone who killed another most likely because of what they believe? \u2026 whose goal was at least in part, no doubt, to silence another because his beliefs and voice were so contagious and effective?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n What do we do with the hundreds I\u2019ve personally seen on social media who have celebrated the killing? \u2026 who have justified awful, cruel, thoughts-of-deserving responses?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n And how, acknowledging all the other acts, do we honestly, painstakingly wrestle with the obvious manifestation of evil?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The assassination of Charlie Kirk this past week was heinous, horrific and evil. I\u2019ve got more words… try wicked, contemptible, immoral, too. Want to address the school shootings? Indeed. Those fit right in. Other political assassinations? Absolutely. All of this demonstrates the worst of our society. As for Charlie, an articulate, intelligent voice known across the country, love him or loathe him, no child of God deserves this. Note: we are each children of the Most High God. Charlie Kirk knew that. It\u2019s what spurred him on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Charlie\u2019s life was marked by healthy debate, active listening and a bold sharing of his faith in Jesus Christ. He invited dialogue, encouraged respect, added a bit of snark, and always promoted a great hope for the future. He loved and valued all people \u2014 especially the younger generation \u2014 and even and also especially those who vehemently disagreed with him. <\/p>\n\n\n\n No doubt one of society\u2019s massive, gaping holes of wisdom is our inability to love and value those who disagree with us. We look down upon, claim moral superiority, and cut off and out those who disagree. We find something wrong with them; we find a reason why; we get others in our self-crafted choirs to “like” or “amen.” We attack people instead of ideas. As a current events blogger, my experience is far minimal compared to Charlie Kirk. But let me share that most would be amazed at some of the profoundly awful things people have said to me because we disagree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n So let me address us all, me included\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n We act as if we know not just better, but best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We say \u201csee ya’ when you grow up,\u201d by confusing growing up with thinking just like me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We claim to love all people and then slam their thinking or ideology \u2014 like we are so in touch with the validity of their experience. We are no doubt arrogant and blind at times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Friends, in this situation, let\u2019s continue with our radical candor. It\u2019s not just the guns; it\u2019s the evil. And we contribute to the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Knowing then that each of us has opportunity to make it better or worse, let us be humbler. Let us sit with those we don\u2019t understand. Like Jesus, let us move toward those we don\u2019t think like. Let us refrain from judgment; let us be curious and actively work to understand, even when it\u2019s hard. Let us realize that we are not each other\u2019s enemies, and the God\u2019s honest truth is that two people can have two totally different views and neither<\/em> be destroying democracy. Stop the name-calling. Get rid of the insults. Quit using the words “Nazis” and “Hitler” unless it’s in reference to “Nazis” or “Hitler.” Stop the pompous posts that demonize the person who doesn\u2019t share our perspective. Work more to ask questions. Ask some more. And let\u2019s be radically candid still more\u2026 It\u2019s not the other; <\/em>it\u2019s not the fault of the other person, other party <\/em>or someone else. <\/em>Rather, it\u2019s us.<\/em> It’s our vicious infighting that\u2019s destroying democracy; it\u2019s our thinking that we know best and our refusal to humbly submit to a moral code higher than our own. Satan is flourishing in our country. He\u2019s been masterfully creative at getting us to think someone is evil other than him.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s do instead what God calls each of us to do. Let us weep with those who weep, mourn with those who mourn, even rejoice with those who rejoice. Let us live in harmony with one another. Let us not be haughty nor wise in our own eyes. And let us repay no one evil for evil.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s stop playing keyboard warriors on social media; it’s not bold nor even courageous. Let us honor all others. That means all. And let us learn from both Charlie and Josh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Father God, let good somehow miraculously come from this no good, terribly awful day. Our hope lies best when it\u2019s in you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Soberly\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n AR<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When we sat down to dinner last night, my youngest son Josh, asked if he could be the one who prays\u2026 \u201cGod, thank you. Be with us. Be with all of your children. Be with all of us who are a child of God. Be with Charlie Kirk\u2019s family. We love you. Amen.\u201d I\u2019ll be … <\/p>\n