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“He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4

Yes, Lord, but when?

Well not today, and not last Wednesday when Charlie Kirk was murdered.

For a little while longer the sword and its modern-day equivalents will have their bloody, insatiable way. Our nation and our world will continue in searing pain. In some ways it’s always been like this. The U.S. has for 249 years been a place where political violence has seemed like an acceptable alternative to the truly heroic task of talking, respecting, and honoring the God-shaped humanity of other people. Those well-meaning folks who have said in the week since Mr. Kirk’s assassination, “This is not America,” are mistaken. This is exactly who we are (among a legion of other, glorious, things of course.)

There’s one major difference now, though. The digital revolution, and in particular the chaotic free-for-all of social media have made it so much easier to create division, hatred, and violence. The billionaires who own social media platforms shrug and say it’s not their problem. They are simply allowing constitutionally-protected free speech, including the right to lie, agitate, and hate.

Actually, I think they have a point. I suspect that if we all truly wanted a peaceful nation, we’d create it. We’d use those same platforms to foster unity. We’d post truth instead of lies, humility instead of certainty, love and not demonization. John Adams was surely correct when he said, “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

Maybe I’m the problem. Or, if I’m not the problem, maybe I still have an important role to play in clearing the way for God’s kingdom to come.

The After Party’s Curtis Chang wrote something the other day that deserves to be read by all people who own the name of Christ. He writes about our devilish divisions and states, “Scapegoating, doubling down, and withdrawing are not biblical answers. They are ways of managing our fear. The gospel calls us instead to remember that Jesus has already reconciled “those who were far off and those who were near” (Ephesians 2:17).

If Christ could break down the wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile, then even in our polarized America we are not beyond hope. So, what does it mean for us now?

  • We grieve. We lament the violence itself and the brokenness it exposes in our common life.
  • We pray. For those who loved Charlie Kirk, for leaders who must act wisely, and for peace in our nation. [Duncan’s edit: I would add to Mr. Kirk’s family everyone who has lost loved ones in US political violence, including Minnesota State Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark in June. End edit]
  • We resist despair. As David declares, “The Lord is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?” (Psalm 27:1). Our ultimate security does not rest in elections, guns, or courts, but in Christ.

I urge you, as I urge myself, not to grow hardened. It is tempting to let anger calcify into bitterness. But our calling is to stay tender, to remember that every person—even those we oppose politically—is made in God’s image.

So, let’s commit to being part of the solution and not the problem. Add salt and light, truth and compassion, humility and respect in our social media posts and our conversations, even when you’re talking to someone you disagree with. In fact, ESPECIALLY when you’re doing that.