The events of the last week were shocking and unsettling, to say the least. The released video footage of Iryna Zarutska’s savage murder on a Charlotte, North Carolina subway was deeply disturbing. Little did we know that just a few days later our nation would be shaken to its core by the gruesome assassination of Charlie Kirk. Indeed, a painful yet powerful reminder of the fact that “the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one” (1 John 5:19).
The national reaction to these tragedies has been remarkable. We have seen mass gatherings and vigils, celebrations of freedom of speech and calls for unity, not just in America but throughout the world. All of this is good, but sadly it has also been countered by some very, very bad. We have seen some deflect blame, some cast it, and some openly celebrating the public assassination of a man in front of his wife and small children.
We are witnesses to a 21st century display of the battle between light and darkness (cf. Eph. 5:8- 14). It is, as it always has been. Darkness is the home of hatred, anger, and murder and light is the home of everything opposite-love, kindness, life, and peace. As Christians, we should thank God that more and more people – especially young people – are beginning to see the clear distinction between the two. But, we must also recognize that it is the church’s exclusive responsibility to dispense light into the darkness of this world (cf. Matt. 5:16; Eph. 3:21).
The Church is the pillar and ground of truth (1 Tim. 3:15). The Gospel is the exclusive means by which God saves people (Rom. 1:16) and transforms their hearts (Rom. 12:1-2; Eph. 4:17-24). While we appreciate and support the efforts of Charlie Kirk and others like him, we also recognize that political action groups are not the church. Charlie was not a member of the church of Christ. Ultimately, the fire stoked on his behalf helping so many to see the contrast between light and darkness is an opportunity for God’s people to stand tall and shout truth from the mountaintops. It should motivate us to “diffuse the fragrance of His knowledge” (2 Cor. 2:16) in every place. Christians are light (Eph. 5:8) and we must be the ones to expose the darkness (Eph. 5:11).
-Cody Westbrook