Hey, Church!
“Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; when I fall, I shall rise” (Micah 7:8).
One of our songs this weekend will ask, “Do you feel the world is broken?” and “Do you feel the shadows deepen?”
Do you? I know I do.
In just three weeks, we have seen a Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed on a North Carolina train, a transgender shooter kill six people at a Catholic school, including children, and a champion for the 1st amendment assassinated for attempting to have civil discourse with college students. All of this while passing the 24th anniversary of 9/11. And that’s just three of the top national headlines.
My social media feed has been saturated this week with people mourning and condemning these despicable acts of violence, while droves of others attempt to justify them, and some even celebrating the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The graphic footage of these attacks is disturbing. But watching people gloat and praise them as acts of well-deserved “karma” has been deeply troubling to me. As one friend put it, those who rejoice over the assassination “are children of hell, and they feel their master’s pleasure.”
Church, these are dark, sad days.
I want to plead with you, now, and ask you to prepare your hearts to worship the King who still sits on the throne. If you are like me, you have absorbed more than enough news updates and troubling images in the past 48 hours. Take Charlie Kirk’s advice this weekend and shut it down for the weekend.
I am not suggesting you bury your head in the sand; I am exhorting you, in the words of the Apostle Paul, to “think about these things… whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, [and] if there is anything worthy of praise…” Be angry! But do not sin. Confront evil, but do not let it oppress your spirit. Pray for the Kirk family, and for all of the other families affected by recent acts of violence. And then go give your loved ones a hug, tell them you love them, and read the Bible instead of the news.
I would also highly recommend you watch this special 30-minute episode of The Bible Show from Pastor Sam and Will, “Psalm 4: What Do We Do With Our Anger?”
Our first three songs this Sunday are meant to help you grieve righteously. “Firm Foundation” is a reminder that our hope in the midst of tossing waves is a firm foundation, Jesus, who will never fail to deliver. “Is He Worthy?” acknowledges the deepening darkness of our culture but remembers that Jesus is King over all. Finally, “I Speak Jesus” is a rebuke of Satan and all of his schemes: addiction, depression, illness, death, fear, anxiety, and every stronghold of darkness holding people captive to the works of the devil. At the name of Jesus, every knee will bow.
To speak Jesus is to speak truth. Despite what the world constantly preaches, truth is not “hate speech,” words are not “violence,” and the only way the forces of darkness will be pushed back is if we all raise our voices and stand boldly for truth. The enemy intends to use these events to silence Christians, but God is using them to raise up a thousand Charlie Kirks, who speak the truth with courage and clarity. Now is your time to rise up, Church! Not to violence, but to prayer, devotion to God’s Word, and confrontation of evil wherever God positions you to confront it. I trust we will all find new strength and courage when we worship together this Sunday.
Your brother,
Ryan