Then let us no more pass judgment on one another, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but it is unclean for any one who thinks it unclean. If your brother is being injured by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. Do not let what you eat cause the ruin of one for whom Christ died.
When I selected this passage earlier in the week, it spoke to me of the importance of giving grace, of showing love, forgiveness, and kindness to one another. I felt certain I could say something meaningful and substantive on the topic of giving grace, as I have been in need of it so many times in my life.
Then came the news of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, and now I find I do not know much about grace at all.
How do I give grace to Tyler Robinson, the young man who made the despicable, evil, choice to kill Charlie Kirk, apparently for the heinous crimes of speaking his mind and engaging in thoughtful discussions with those who disagreed with him?
How can I love such a person? How can I forgive him?
Perhaps the better question is why should I forgive him? No one forced him to take aim at Charlie Kirk and end his life. No one threatened him or his loved ones if he did not murder another human being. Tyler Robinson acted of his own accord.
Tyler Robinson made his choice, and it was a bad choice. Why should I even think of forgiving him?
But I already know the answer: I should forgive him because we are all called to forgiveness. As the Apostle Peter teaches, we should repay evil with blessings, that we might inherit blessings. We should forgive because that is what we are called to do.
We should forgive, because only then can we be forgiven.
We should forgive because we all stand in sore need of forgiveness. You—me—Tyler Robinson all have fallen far short of the glory of God.
In my heart I know that is true. I know that I am a sinner just as much as Tyler Robinson.
Yet I also know that I have never committed murder. I know that I have never killed a man simply for speaking his mind and seeking open debate with others.
I know in my heart that I am not like Tyler Robinson.
However, I know in my head the parable Jesus taught about the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18. I know what Jesus taught, that if we refuse to forgive others their debts against us our debts against God will likewise not be forgiven.
If I do not give Tyler Robinson grace, will God give me grace when I am called before the Throne of Judgement to account for my life? The Gospels teach that I will not. Jesus Himself taught that I will not.
Yet how do I give grace to a man who had none to give Charlie Kirk?
How do I give grace to a man who chose to meet words and ideas with a bullet?
More than that, how do I give grace to the people who chose to celebrate Charlie Kirk’s assassination? How does anyone give grace to people who think killing those with whom they disagree is a good thing?
I have always been a believer in the moral imperative of Free Speech. Is there a Tyler Robinson out there who will seek to end my life in order to end my words? While I strongly doubt that I have sufficient notoriety to attract such evil intents, today I have little doubt that it is only my relative anonymity that stands between me and the assassin’s bullet.
It is not merely that one lone hateful human being chose to end Charlie Kirk’s life. It is that other hateful human beings chose to celebrate it, and proclaim it a good thing. It is that other hateful human beings chose to call for the murder of all who think like Charlie Kirk.
I like to believe I think like Charlie Kirk. Are those hateful human beings saying killing me would be a good thing? I know of no other way to view the hateful reactions of some to Charlie Kirk’s murder.
How do I give grace to people who want me dead just because I do not think their thoughts?
How do I give grace to people who will give no grace to me?
I want to do the right thing. I want to follow what Jesus taught in the Gospels. I do not want to compromise my beliefs or my principles. I certainly do not want to throw away my beliefs or my principles in a fit of anger, no matter how righteous that anger may seem.
I also do not want to back down in the face of evil. I do not want to shrink from those who prefer violence to reason. I do not want to concede the public square to those who would silence all voices save their own.
What grace can I give such people? What grace can anyone give such people? I do not know.
What grace will God give such people? I do not know.
What grace will God give Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika and Charlie Kirk’s children? I do not know.
I want to believe that there will be justice for Charlie Kirk. I want to believe that Tyler Robinson will account for what he has done, both before men and before God. I want to believe that anyone who may have helped Tyler Robinson will likewise be called to account, and so, too, will all who choose to revel in murder and mayhem.
I want to believe that Erika Kirk and Charlie Kirk’s children will receive from God and from men the grace of justice, both divine and mortal.
Perhaps that is the grace that is proper for this moment, that grace of justice. Perhaps that is the grace I should seek to give, that we should all seek to give.
If we desire that Tyler Robinson stand and account before the law for his evil deed, are we giving him grace? I think that is possible, but I do not know.
If we desire that those who celebrate Charlie Kirk’s murder receive just consequence for their unjust, intemperate, and absolutely evil words, are we giving them grace? I think that is possible, but I do not know.
In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s murder, I am learning there is a certain disingenuousness in calling to repay evil with blessings, a certain naivete. While it is easy to say such things in the abstract, it is quite a bit more difficult to hold such ideals close to my heart when staring directly at evil.
When I saw in the news that Charlie Kirk had been killed, and when I saw again in the news that his killer had been apprehended, I knew I was staring directly at evil.
I want Tyler Robinson to face justice for what he has done. I want Charlie Kirk’s family to receive justice for what has been done to them. I want people everywhere to see that Tyler Robinson’s choice was the evil choice, and an absolutely unacceptable choice. I want people everywhere to understand that there can never be any justification for killing another human being simply because one does not like their words or their ideas. I want to see even the idea that there could be such justification permanently eliminated from the minds of men.
Is that giving grace? I think that is possible, but I do not know.
Normally, I close these sermons with a prayer for me and a prayer for you. I believe it is important to close in this way, with a calling for everyone to rise up and be a little bit better, and maybe draw a little bit closer to God.
I will close this with a prayer for Charlie Kirk’s widow Erika, and for their two children. I pray that they find some comfort in knowing that he touched millions more than he ever knew, people he had never met and would never meet. I pray they find closure in knowing that the man who committed this foul deed is now in custody and will face such justice as mere men may deliver. I pray God gives them the strength to carry on with their lives.
I want to pray that God will give Tyler Robinson the grace that is his due. Perhaps later I will be able to make that prayer. For now, I pray that God gives Tyler Robinson the justice that is his due. Whether that is grace enough for me to give I do not know, but that is the grace I have to give Tyler Robinson today, for better or for worse.
I want Charlie Kirk’s family to receive justice for what Tyler Robinson has done to them. I want Tyler Robinson to face justice for what he has done.
Is that giving grace? Is that giving enough grace? I think that is possible, but I do not know.
This is an odd subject, because I don’t think we’ve ever been here before as a society.
Generally, people from Western nations tend to honor the dead.
That is to say, human life has intrinsic value and worth. Those who relied upon, or where emotionally connected to the person who died—they have worth as well—this current crop of people on the left doesn’t see things this way.
Their worldview doesn’t work within the realm of how people generally operate. These individuals literally have no legacy. Who will grieve them when they die? Their kids are taught (by them) that they shouldn’t respect those who just died—because of a difference in opinion.
Moreover, who doesn’t want to be grieved when they die? Who doesn’t value life—when every living thing on the planet fights to stay alive? How can someone become so inverted?
This is not normal human behavior. We’re all selfish, if we’re honest, we all know this. It’s part of what keeps us alive when outside circumstances might dictate otherwise—it’s part of being human.
But these people on the left are subject to a cause that promises them nothing. Literally nothing. They’re subjecting themselves to the worst kind of slavery. Their minds have been captured. They are by literal definition slaves.
These people who are celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death are looking at life like it’s 3rd person (and I don’t mean by using pronouns). It’s as if they believe they can walk away after all this, and there is somewhere else that their mind truly resides (they’re separated from reality).
But there’s nowhere to go—at least not in the sense that those still living can interact with.
So what does this tell us?
It tells me (at least) that there are a whole lot of people who are “not all there” and are willing to commit to horrible acts—just because they are directed to do so. They are selfless—but selfless in service of something that will never benefit them—or their offspring.
This creates quite the dilemma.
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle.” ― Sun Tzu, The Art of War
This enemy is new, in that they don’t really understand reality—and don’t even act within the confines of their own best interest.
This is like humans vs ants (and I mean that metaphorically, not literally) most of us, can’t imagine a world in which any people champion a cause that makes things worse (for them and for everyone else).
This leftist mindset just serves to create more of the angst and hopelessness that came before it.
Where do we go from here?
I have no idea, but I know that a lot of people are going to either wake up, or live miserable lives, because the clock is ticking—none of these people are getting any younger.
Time comes for us all. It’s what we do while we’re here that matters.
Beautifully expressed, Peter, and I see that you have been wrestling with the same dilemma that I have. Partial answer: it comes down to, “love the sinner, hate the sin”. You understand all about that already.
Our Founding Fathers also wrestled with these issues, and their wise insight was that we needed to be a moral, caring, ethical society - the kind that is based on traditional Christian values. Those values underlie the laws and punishments, the balancing of justice with mercy, the right to freedom versus the safety of innocents. Educated, insightful thinkers such as yourself, Peter, can help steer this country back to goodness with your writings concerning these matters.
Earlier American times saw the need for better education in order to prevent wrongs. During our lifetimes, the Dept of Education has gone terribly wrong in mis-educating young people. This is now being partially rectified, and again, your writings can help.
A magnificent way you could help, Peter, is with your amazingly great legal mind. You understand that there can be no protection for the innocent, or mercy for erring people, without justice. Legal justice, not vigilante vengeance!
Charlie Kirk’s killer was miseducated, misinformed, misled, misguided, and corrupted. He will have to pay a huge price for that, in part to prevent anyone else from committing such a horrendous crime. But ALL of the people who destroyed the mind of this killer need to be prevented from destroying others! So keep pointing out the wrongs that create warped killers. If enough writers do so, there will be a hugely needed correcting turn in civilization.
Thank you always for your noble efforts, Peter!