Charlie Kirk, waves of change, and the choice to use your voice.

Charlie Kirk, waves of change, and the choice to use your voice.

I’m no one you need to know. I don’t have a huge platform. I do not try to have a platform. Fame is of little importance nor value to me. I do write here and there when the spirit moves. So I share these words because I feel moved to do so. Not because my words are earth shattering, but simply to process with you what we’ve witnessed this week on social media.

This week I witnessed the worst of humanity. Many social media managers witnessed unintentionally (from just a few feet away) the bloody moment Charlie Kirk’s life was snuffed out. I would never go on a hunt to put that violence in my mind. But there it was. And I wish I could wash my memory.

The scene sent me running to the bathroom. An experience I had in common with my middle child who also works in and studies media. We were sick. My middle, who is a Residence Assistant at a University, encountered cheers and jeers over Charlies’ assignation from a few of his own dormmates deepening the hurt after what he had seen. I shudder to think what the actual witnesses must be going thru.

Many of our young people are confused and have been manipulated into celebrating evil. And when you hand a manipulated, mentally unstable, child a gun, violence is the outcome.

I loved Charlie Kirk. I was a fan. I listened to him while I worked and was amazed at his knowledge of not only scripture but of our nation’s history and so many other topics. He was brilliant. Today, I’m ashamed, and I confess to you, that I wouldn’t share Charlie’s material because I’ve already been fired in my lifetime for speaking truth to power- as they say. So, like a coward, I didn’t share some of the best quotes and debates I’ve heard in my lifetime. Charlie, who has been mercilessly accused of being a racist bigot, began his career alongside the renowned (and quite black) Candance Owens. They were best friends. Charlie, who never completed college, has been maligned and mocked constantly for that fact, fearlessly and beautifully debated the greatest young minds at Cambridge. It was undoubtedly one of his toughest debates, but after following Charlie for several years, I’m guessing he loved every second.

Yesterday was very difficult for me. I hopped back online to do my job and was immediately blasted with celebrations, laughter, and misquotes from Charlie that I can only call demonic. Fifteen years ago, I would never have used the word demonic so freely. After what I’ve seen in my life- demonic is an accurate description of what I’ve witnessed in the digital world over the last few days. Pay attention to whomever celebrates murder. It is grossly revealing. X and BlueSky are a hellhole right now of doctors, nurses, professors, politicians, school board members, city council members (all of a particular side mind you) celebrating the assassination and the silencing of our second amendment rights and of Charlie. We don’t like to think people say these nasty things, but then those things are heard and read and are seen by a crazy person with a gun and we also don’t like the guns…or so I hear. But the rhetoric goes on. Do they know what they are doing?

And before you get high and mighty on me, yes, I’ve seen the nasty posts from some bubbas on the right and our own president at times- just not when people are brutally murdered. I haven’t seen the right do that. When death occurs, the right is mocked mercilessly for calling for prayer. PRAYER. We are mocked for PRAYER. For the liberal left, prayer is wasted time, I suppose. Please, tell me you don’t believe in G-d without telling me you don’t truly believe in G-d when you mock prayer. Prayer IS action and is how I experience worship and commune with my Creator. For me, this mocking is beyond hurtful and makes me furious… moving on…

Today I feel a shift and see the sun rising. Shared grief lightens a burdensome load. Today I’ve seen one post and one video after another of people waking up. It’s as if they finally SEE what the rest of us have seen for a decade. And they are using their voices. Today I’ve seen beautiful celebrations of Charlies’ life. I haven’t seen buildings being burned to the ground. I’ve seen love. I’ve seen people confessing their faith.

I watched a video this morning; I desperately wanted to share it. I decided against it because there were so many f-bombs in it that I’m afraid some of my more sensitive Christian friends would lose the message while clutching their pearls. But I want to tell you about it.

Today I watched a gay woman covered with tattoos with enormous gages in her ears weep on her TikTok screen. She shared how devastated she is at the loss of Charlie. She shared how disgusted she is at the left’s response. She shared how she desperately needs a community because she’s been abandoned by her own— all because she is starting to lean conservative and simply ask questions. She shared that she wants a church but knows she is unwelcome. My heart aches for this woman. This child of God. She admits to being lonely. I can relate.

I have fundamental roots. I know what this rejection looks like. I’ve seen it in action. Many churches would say that all you need to do is believe or believe and be baptized in Jesus and get yourself to church, of course. And shortly following, they will throw so many additional laws at you in order to “be Christian” that people like this woman feel completely pushed out the door and dumbfounded. Many folks simply cannot maintain the standard set before them, not by Christ, but by professing Christians themselves. Many are rejected before they even enter the vestibule. So now, they are afraid. They are afraid of us and they are afraid of where they are coming from.

My husband and I don’t talk about the new ministry God has put on our hearts on social media at all. 1) because we don’t want to stifle it or risk hurting people who are involved and 2) because it is so tender and new that we just are not ready to share it. But I want to share a little with you here today. If you have more questions, reach out to Dave or myself privately. Above all, pray for us.

Monthly we have people in our home- primarily Starbucks employees who Dave has the privilege of working alongside. These lovely folks are quite similar to the woman I described above in the TikTok video; tattooed, piercings everywhere, liberal, gay, trans, TSwift fans ;), lots of saucy language to say the very least. Desperate for love. Desperate for a picture of a human kindness and someone who loves them truly and doesn’t reject them. We pray with them. We feed them. And we try prayerfully to be a human who loves them. And we DO love them so much. And we do this by not inviting them to church. We do this by inviting them into our home and our lives and by gently showing them Jesus.

This is what G-d has put on us to be right now. And we are moving forward with fear and trembling and humility. (The Starbucks paycheck will indeed keep you humble.)

What I want you to hear as I wrap this up is also what Charlie Kirk wanted. Just talk to each other. Love each other. Listen to one another. Seek truth and use your voice. Stop fearing what you know nothing about and stop assuming that just because someone voted differently than you…

that they are somehow evil…

or a fascist…

or a Nazi…

or a zealot…

or ignorant…

or a bigot. Because that language. That polarizing language, which comes from both sides, is what has caused this division. A plague on both your houses.

I am not a republican. I AM conservative. But beyond any of those stupid labels. I am a Christian. And for that belief, I am willing to die and I’m ready… just like Charlie.