Leadership Thought: Charlie Kirk: Another Sad and Senseless Killing 

Dear Friends

It’s two thirty in the morning and I can’t sleep. My heart is broken over what is happening in our nation.

Another senseless killing-a political assassination just  because some hate filled person is unable to get along with someone who holds a different political view. When will it stop? When will people come together and honesty, and openly discuss their differences in kind and respectful ways?

Every Wednesday I meet with three friends for breakfast. We are different politically. One is liberal, two are somewhere in the middle, and I am on the right. We pray and give thanks for our food and our friendship. We discuss and debate, we listen and learn, we challenge and  confront, and when breakfast is through, we pay our bill,  get up and leave stronger friends than when we came.

Like many of you, I am sick of the dangerous and hateful political rhetoric that is dividing and destroying friendships. There is nothing good about any conversation that divides friendships and contributes to the destruction of the fabric of our democracy.

There is no place for finger pointing and inflammatory speech among those who claim the name of Jesus us.

What has happened yesterday with the senseless killing of a 31-year-old man with a wife and two young  children all  because someone disagreed with his efforts to bring people together to discuss their political differences.

Regardless of one's political position, there is no place for the kind of hatred that would take another person's life-all because they didn't agree with their political position.

I watched in dismay as one congressional representative suggested verbally praying for Charlie Kirk's family, and she was shouted down. Is there no room for  verbal prayer on the floor of Congress?

I was angered when I watched television clips of some individuals celebrating and glorying in his death?

What in the world is wrong with us as a country? How can we be filled with such hatred?

I implore you as a follower of Jesus to guard your tongue and avoid even the hint of anger in any of your political and social discourse.

Jesus is clear when he teaches that we are to us to "love your enemies and do good. and lend ,expecting nothing in return ,and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the evil." (Luke 6:35),

Paul writes, "Be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another at Christ Jesus forgave you." (Ephesians 4:32)

Pastor Chuck Swindoll describes his sister's practical  description of kindness: "Be nice to one another; just be nice. Say nice things to one another."

Years ago, I remember someone wisely teaching "that if you have the choice to be right or kind, always choose to be kind." 

Good advice and let us  pray that we might always heed this admonition.

Yours in faith and friendship, 

Tom