Even When...
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My mother can tell you exactly where she was when John F. Kennedy was killed. Most every Americans I know can tell you where they were when the planes flew into the Twin Towers on 9/11.
And now…America has the stain of Charlie Kirk’s blood on her heartbeat as well.
So many lives that have been tragically ended; horrific moments that should never have unfolded. We could name thousands of wrongful, cruel, violent, tragic atrocities that people have inflicted on people. But when the moment is captured for all the world to see, something personal happens. It’s implanted on our heart and mind — it is gut-wrenchingly evil.
There’s a mountain in Kenya where unspeakable horrors have happened. On that steep mountain side, people have done the worst things imaginable to other people. No cameras captured the footage. Oh, but children’s eyes saw it. Babies still in the womb, yet unborn, were exposed to the violence happening outside the womb. And they became a generation of children who individually chose muteness and repeatedly acted out violence for the first few years of their lives. They never spoke. They fought. Two, three, four year olds fighting like their life depended on it. Intense counseling and care has helped them, but I’m told they are still “different”. What they saw, what they heard, changed them.
I could tell you what we’ve been told about the violence on that mountainside…and yet, you’d still be able to speak, it wouldn’t take your voice away. But not the children who’s eyes and ears saw and heard it. There is a visceral response to seeing and hearing violence.
Our world has been impacted again by the cruelty of murder — when one life chooses to destroy another life, caring nothing at all for the many lives that in one moment have been forever changed.
HOW is it we are to maintain a strong, persistent, unwavering reach for more of Jesus when bullets invade skin and children will never hear their father’s voice again? And yet, I might instead ask, how is it we could resist reaching for Jesus? For when we see what evil will do…surely we long for more of the ONE who SAVES.
This writing is not politically driven or positional in its presenting. I, like you, have my thoughts and views in the arena of politics. But I believe it would be disrespectful to enter into those very private places. Each of us is to know our own views and we are to show respect towards one another. Our world is cracking wide open over the forcing of opinions, dominating attitudes, slanted truths, and finger pointing dialogue.
Private, respectful conversations — yes.
Flooding of demanding opinions — no.
This writing is instead an attempt to pause, be still, weep over our shattered humanity, and listen closely for the t-r-u-t-h.
With the arrival of internet and social media, our world culture has changed drastically. Respectful discourse is too often ignored and sometimes even viewed as too passive. But I woefully disagree with most of what social media has done to humanity.
Charlie Kirk had a lot to say. He was loved by some; despised by some. But no one can dispute the fact that he loved his wife, his children, his GOD, and his country. I agreed with so much of what he said…but not everything. (I’ve yet to meet the person that I agree with 100% of the time…gracious, I don’t even agree with myself sometimes.) Growth, learning, and awareness guarantees change! So we need a guide. We need The Guide.
The Word of God, the Truth of Scriptures, the Counsel of the Holy Spirit, and the saving Grace of Jesus — we need it all — we need its clarity and help. We need the accuracy of His measurements and the steadiness of His plumb line.
It’s exactly where we need to run to with the cavernous cracks of humanity destroy beating hearts and breathing lungs.
It should not matter if we are “blue” or “red”, “left” or “right”, liked him or didn’t like him, agreed or disagreed. Evil is winning when murder is chosen — whether on a train in NC, a home in NYC, a hillside in Kenya, or a debate platform in Utah. Murder is a cruel silencer. Evil wins when souls are silenced.
And yet — our God is good and He will never be silenced. We do not have to argue, fight, out-talk, or out do other people. We need to hear them, and hope they can hear us and themselves…remembering that with every passing day, they will still have a chance to run to the Father and finally find what is true, noble, honorable, and good.
Never forget — when Lucifer fell from Heaven because of his prideful sin, only 1/3 of the angels chose to join him. That means that 2/3 (twice as many) angels CHOSE to stay with the KING OF KINGS!! There are more who are for us than those that are against us. And the conclusion of it all has already been decided.
God wins.
His children win.
God is indeed good.
No sting of enemy perversion or stain of innocent blood will ever alter the fact that GOD IS GOOD.
Within hours of Charlie Kirk’s death, his dear wife, who was present and saw her husband killed, spoke from her heart. She said many things, but my heart fixated when said, “God is good. God is goooood.” She wasn’t sleeping at night and could hardly breathe, but she could authentically, truthfully, humbly say, “God is still good.” Instantly my thoughts went to a beautifully written song I’ve been carrying in my own heart for weeks — and the truth of these lyrics is depicted now in the life Erika Kirk will carry her children through.
Below are the lyrics to the song, “Better Than We Know”, by Christy Nockels. Give yourself time to read them slowly — let them be a simple, powerful, steadying reminder that reaching for more of Jesus is still the best way forward.
We'll be a house of joy
We'll be a flag of freedom
Waving upon the shore
Of hope that's beyond all reason
The questions are sure to come
And we still have storms to weather
But anchored within God's love
He's holding us together
Even when the pain feels bigger than the promise
Press through... for we know He's good
And He is always for us, it's true
At the end of the day, I don't know much
But as sure as the cold in winter snow
I believe He's better than we know!
My dear, I want you to know
This is my prayer for you
That the wonder that your eyes hold
Will show you our God who is true!
And I pray you will find His heart
To be your forever home
So whenever we're apart
He'll be the place where you go
Even when the pain feels bigger than the promise
Press through... for we know He's good
And He is always for us, it's true
At the end of the day, I don't know much
But as sure as the spring will bring new growth
I believe He's better than we know!
He's better than we know!
He's wonderful
He's wonderful
He's wonderful, He's Wonderful
You can lift your face to the starry sky
Your feet in the grass on a summer night
And know that you're precious in His sight
He's better than we know, He's wonderful!
You can hear Him sing with the symphony
Of the waves that roll in the deep, blue sea
His mercy in every breath we breathe
He's better than we know, He's wonderful!
And we join our song with the earth He made
Creation lifting the highest praise
To Jesus worthy of all our days
He's better than we know, He's wonderful!
You're wonderful
You're wonderful
You're wonderful
Even when the pain feels bigger than the promise
Press through... for we know He's good
And He is always for us, it's true
At the end of the day, I don't know much
But as sure as the harvest moon will glow
I believe He's better than we know!
I personally thank God for the life of Charlie Kirk. And I thank God for the good that is coming out of such a horrific loss to his family. There is good. God is doing something.
Very grateful.
Thank you Charlie.
