Dear Friends,
In the past six months we have had at least three high-profile acts of political violence: arson at the home of Josh Shapiro, Democratic Governor of Pennsylvania; the assassination of Melissa Hortman, Democratic state representative of Minnesota, and her husband Mark and the attempt on John Hoffman, Democratic state senator of Minnesota, and his wife Yvette; and, now, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder and Executive Director of the conservative advocacy organization Turning Point USA.
There has been much written, social media shared, and strong emotions expressed in the days since Kirk’s murder, and I don’t expect I have much to add in way of light or wisdom, so I will keep my remarks brief.
There is no question that we have a gun problem in this country. There is no question that we also have a problem with a hardening of political positions, with various camps believing that the other side is an existential threat to the future of our nation.
I am not a political scientist or strategist. What I am is a pastor called to proclaim “nothing but Christ and Him crucified” as St. Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.
And the Gospel tells us that we are all made in the image of God—victor and victim, male and female, rich and poor, and everyone on every continuum we can imagine—and are, in fact, “friends” of Jesus when we try to follow him (Genesis 1:26-27; John 15:15).
And what the Gospel tells us is that we are to honor the dignity of everyone who is made in the image of God (James 2:1-4).
And what the Gospel tells us is that we are to have no other gods before God and that the Great Commandment is to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength and our neighbor as ourselves (Mark 12:30-30).
And what the Gospel tells us is that we are to love our enemies. And forgive those who harm us not once or twice but 70 times seven times (see the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7).
And what the Gospel tells us is that God is especially close to those most of us might not want to hang out with: the least, the lost, the poor, the outcast, the disfigured, the tax collector, the rich man but also the poor man the rich man harms, the thief, the beggar (see all the stories of healing and grace throughout the four Gospels).
And what the Gospel tells us is that God would rather be crucified than harm a hair on our heads. Even the head of Judas. Even the head of Pilate. Even the head of Herod.
And what the Gospel tells us is that we are do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God (Micah 6:8).
And, so, whatever anger or terror is pulsing through our veins, buzzing in our brains, we are called to act in just, but never violent, ways: the high calling of love and the high calling of peace. And as I said last Friday and during our All In weekend, the only way to live into that high calling is together, as the Body of Christ.
Sending you love and peace.
See you in church!
Faithfully, Suzanne+