I was on my way to a baseball game when I heard the news that Charlie Kirk had been shot and killed while debating with students at Utah Valley University. I was aware of Charlie mostly as a political commentator who was popular with many young conservatives, who had openly identified as a Christian. I knew him mostly as the “prove me wrong” guy who went viral for setting up a booth on college campuses and offering to debate all comers. As I looked further into the story of his murder I was horrified to discover that he was 31 years old, married with two young children. I listened to my first Charlie Kirk podcast the following day on the subway as I tried to better understand who he was, what he said and why it encouraged and infuriated so many people. I can’t say that I agree with all of Charlie’s political takes, and his approach wasn’t always as calm and measured as he appeared in some of those viral videos, but I admire his courage, his mental acuity and his relentless belief that we should be talking to each other about the issues that divide us as human beings. The fact that he was shot by a sniper while practicing what he preached will only add to his influence and legacy.
Perhaps just as shocking as his death has been the horrific reactions of many people who disagree with Charlie’s political and cultural views. The videos of people cheering the news of his death left me disgusted and speechless. Even if you disagree with his positions on gun control, immigration or Israel, to celebrate the murder of a human being – a 31 year old married father of 2 – reveals something terribly broken and diseased in you as a person. Seeing those videos, posts and tweets, many of us feel as though we are living in a much darker and sinister world than we inhabited on September 9th.
Which raises the question of whether or not Canadian pastors should be addressing this issue from the pulpit this coming Sunday morning.
As you make that very difficult decision, here are a few thoughts that may be useful to you in your deliberation.
Remember that online reality is not the same as actual reality
I rarely go on Twitter/X anymore, but I logged on yesterday after hearing that the space was literally flooded with news, video, commentary and reaction to the Charlie Kirk story. The algorithm had clearly identified that story as top of mind for many of its users. 10 minutes on Twitter made me feel like this event was the beginning of the end for western civilization. Once I logged off Twitter, I noticed that no one in my immediate field of vision appeared to be greatly affected.
Social Media is not real life – or at least, it isn’t for most people, and it shouldn’t be for anybody.
As pastors we should probably remember that a significant portion of our people are working hard, raising their kids, paying their mortgages and remain generally unaware of social and political events taking place in the wider culture – particularly events taking place south of the border. I suspect that only 50% of the people in my church knew who Charlie Kirk was before September 10th and I estimate that only 10% would have been regular consumers of his content. As a general rule, I would suggest that changing your service order or scrapping your sermon plan should only be considered when something happens that affects the vast majority of the people in your congregation.
Remember that the sermon isn’t the only way to mention issues of cultural significance
I wasn’t a preaching pastor when 9/11 happened. I was an Associate Pastor at the time, in charge of youth and young adults. I do recall that we set aside time in the following Sunday service to pray for our friends in America as they processed this terrible attack. We prayed for peace in the world and grace to fall on the bereaved. And then the Senior Pastor preached the sermon he had already prepared from the text. That felt exactly right to me at the time.
I plan on using part of our Pastoral Prayer time on Sunday to address this issue. The elder leading the prayer time will probably say something like this:
“As many of you are no doubt aware, there was a political assassination this week in the U.S. Our culture is becoming a more polarized and hostile place. Many people are becoming intolerant toward other viewpoints. As Christians we are called to be peacemakers – and we are told to prepare ourselves to suffer on behalf of the light. Let’s ask the Lord to send grace upon the wife and children of Charlie Kirk and let’s pray for the Prince of Peace to be enthroned in the heart of every man, woman and child this land. Let’s pray together…”
The prayer time is often the most appropriate place to make mention of issues of this nature.
Remember that the purpose of the Sunday service is to worship God and build up the Body of Christ
I was a student at Moody Bible Institute in 1992 when Bill Clinton defeated the first George Bush for the office of President. As a Canadian evangelical in America I was shocked by the amount of political discussion that took place in churches on a Sunday morning. I wouldn’t say it was wrong, but it did feel disproportionate and out of balance.
By and large, I think that still represents the default perspective of Canadian Christians.
The Sunday Service is intended to ground and reorient the believer. It is intended to lift him or her up above the fray and to provide a vision of ultimate reality. At church we should be focused on who God is, who we are and how God has saved us through the person and work of Christ, and with those fundamental truths rediscovered and freshly affirmed, we return to the muck and grind of daily reality.
With very few exceptions, I think that should continue to serve as our general rule, even in these admittedly chaotic times.
Remember that the Sunday service isn’t your only way to teach and connect with your people
While the Sunday service, and the Sunday sermon, are certainly the most important way that a pastor connects with the congregation, there are several other opportunities to do so, some of which may be more suited to issues of urgent and complex cultural application. A pastor can write a blog, send out a newsletter, or have a Q&A session after the service. We’ve recently implemented a monthly Core Service on Sunday nights for members to address issues of collective concern. That could be the perfect place for an extended conversation about how to be salt and light in an increasingly hostile world.
All of that to say, your decision as to whether and how to address this topic on Sunday will be a difficult one. There are several factors to consider and a variety of different vehicles you may choose to employ. I would argue that you are not obligated to address the issue directly from the pulpit. I have seen a few voices online suggesting that any pastor who refuses to talk about this on Sunday is somehow letting down the team.
I’m not sure that position is coherent or compelling.
Certainly you may address it and if you decide to do so you will need to think carefully about how, where, to what depth and for how long. You may choose to speak to it in a different venue or via a different medium. You may also decide to stew on it for a week or two in order to do further research and to reflect more deeply on the issues at play.
This is a judgment call.
This is something for you to think about, pray about and talk to your elders about. As pastors we want to help our people live faithfully in the world, but we also want to help them keep their eyes fixed on Jesus, the author and perfector of their faith, and our faith.
O God help!
Pastor Paul Carter
If you are interested in more Bible teaching from Pastor Paul you can access the entire library of Into The Word episodes through the Audio tab on the Into the Word website. You can also download the Into The Word app on iTunes or Google Play.
