My Thoughts On Charlie Kirk's Assassination (100 Days Of Discipleship — Day 59) by Apostle Emmanuel Iren: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

Think About the Ripple Effect

On Sunday 21st of September, 70,000 people gathered to celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk — a popular American Republican commentator who was killed in public, in front of his wife and daughters, while engaging in his usual fashion of public debate.

The first thing to consider — regardless of your view of his politics — is the ripple effect. After 9/11, global terrorism spiked. The success of that one attack motivated and radicalised many others. When a public figure is murdered and sections of the public celebrate or excuse it, the message sent is: disagreement with someone's views is sufficient justification for violence.

That is a social contagion. And the people celebrating are not thinking through what they are starting.

No One Has a Monopoly on Violence

The logic goes: he was racist, or fascist, or homophobic — so he deserved it. But what about someone who thinks you deserve it because of your views? You do not have a monopoly on violence. Once that door opens, it opens for everyone.

People are already messaging public voices and saying "you are next." That is where celebrating political violence leads. Don't win a battle and lose the war. Don't open a door you cannot close.

This Is Bigger Than Politics

Jesus told the story of the Good Samaritan. A man was beaten and left dying. A priest passed. A Levite passed. They did nothing wrong — they just did not do anything right. Jesus's point: there are issues that must go beyond your religious, racial, or political tribe.

A man was murdered in front of his wife and children. Whatever you think of his views, wherever you sit politically — your humanity should respond to that. The same energy being used to celebrate his death was being used to say his wife and children should have been killed too. If you hear that and feel nothing, something is happening to you.

First a Christian

The moment you identify first as a black person, first as a feminist, first as a conservative, first as anything other than a Christian — you become vulnerable to confirmation bias. You will run toward anything that strengthens your preferred narrative. Unbeknownst to you, you may be losing your humanity one justified outrage at a time.

Galatians 3:28: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female — for you are all one in Christ Jesus." In Christ, these secondary identities exist but do not define. I am first a Christian. And because I am a Christian, I believe every person is made in the image of God — and that their death is never a gotcha moment.

You can disagree with every single position someone held. You can still mourn their death. You can still see the horror of a man dying in front of his small children. These are not contradictions — this is what it means to be a human being made in the image of a God who loved the world while it was still His enemy.