When Violence Strikes Close to Home - Remembering Charlie Kirk

I can still remember where I was on September 11, 2001. That day began like any other, but within a few minutes, the entire world changed. The images of planes flying into towers are seared into our memories. We felt fear. We felt grief. We felt anger. And we wondered what life would look like after such evil made itself known in such a devastating way.

Yesterday brought another shock. The news came out that Charlie Kirk was shot and killed at an event in Utah. He was doing what he often did, speaking to young people, when a stranger’s bullet ended his life. In a moment, the unthinkable happened again. For many, the grief is fresh and raw. For others, it stirs the same emotions we felt on 9/11: fear, confusion, and a sense of being unsafe in a world we cannot control.

These moments leave us unsettled because they remind us how fragile life really is. Violence has a way of reaching across the miles, even if we were not in the building or at the event, because we know it could have been us. It could have been our family. It could have been our community. We wonder how much more hatred our culture can bear. We wonder how many more days like these we will see.

Part of what makes the pain even sharper is the deep divide in our country. We live in a time when political lines are drawn so harshly that we stop seeing the image of God in one another. We talk about people as if they are enemies to be destroyed instead of neighbors to be loved. We cancel, we shout, we mock, and we retaliate. And into that climate, violence takes root. When hatred is given room to grow, it eventually bears deadly fruit.

But God’s Word calls us to something higher. Psalm 46 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, even though the earth be removed.” God is not absent when violence breaks out. He is present. He is near. Psalm 34 reminds us, “The Lord is near to those who have a broken heart.” That means He is drawing close right now, even in the sorrow and confusion.

Still, knowing that God is near does not erase the questions we carry. Why did this happen? Where was God’s protection? How should we respond? Romans 12 gives us a powerful answer. It says, “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” It would be easy to let bitterness take over. It would be natural to respond with anger. But followers of Jesus are called to live differently. Evil is not defeated by more evil. Darkness is not pushed back by more darkness. Only light can do that.

So what do we do now? First, we grieve honestly. We bring our questions and our tears to the Lord. He is not threatened by our cries. Second, we pray. We pray for Charlie Kirk’s family. We pray for those who were present. We pray for justice, that the one who pulled the trigger will be held accountable. And we pray for ourselves, that our hearts will not grow cold or hard in a violent world. Third, we choose not to join in the divide that is tearing our nation apart. We do not let the hatred of others decide the posture of our hearts. Instead, we live as people of faith, hope, and love. The God who raised Jesus from the dead still holds the world in His hands.

Today is September 11. We cannot forget what happened in 2001. We will never forget the smoke, the collapse, the terror of that day. However, we must also not forget what God did in the days and years that followed. Communities came together. People prayed who had not prayed in years. Hope rose from the rubble. The same God who was faithful then is faithful now.

So when violence strikes close to home, we anchor ourselves again in the only place that is unshakable. We look up and remember that the Lord is near. We resist the pull of fear and bitterness, and we choose faith, hope, and love. On 9/11, hope did not die. Yesterday, hope did not die. Hope never dies because God never leaves. He is still with us. He is still for us. And He is still stronger than death.