This has been a sad week in America, my friends. There's much that could be said, and I just want to share a few thoughts.

Firstly, I'm so deeply sorrowful for the loss of Charlie Kirk. He was wrongfully taken from this world, his family, and his friends. I'm so sad for the suffering that his wife is undergoing. I'm sad that his children's father was stripped away from them. I'm sad for his parents, his friends, and all of those deeply mourning his death. Charlie was brutally murdered in broad daylight while speaking at a college campus. It was a sheer act of evil.

I understand the rage, and I understand the anger. I, too, am angry. I'm angry that a 22-year-old somehow became radicalized into thinking that murdering Charlie was just. I'm angry that there are thousands, if not millions, who are in outright celebration of this atrocity. I'm angry that I've seen numerous posts and videos of people sharing their displeasure with political violence while simultaneously reminding their audience what a moral monster they think Charlie was. But it's so critical for us to always remember this: The Christian does not repay evil with evil; they do not repay violence with violence; and they do not repay hate with hate. While being murdered on a cross, Jesus responded with “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." This is the tradition and ethos that must always flow through those who follow Jesus. To be sure, I'm not saying a response isn't needed. There is a lot to be done. But we must refrain from responding with a spirit of vengeance or haphazardness. Christians must always first put on the garment of praise. We are called to first surrender to God, and only then be led out into the world, so that all might come to know that God is Good, that God is Love, and that God is the sheer reality of beauty itself.

Finally, I say this: Anyone paying attention knows that the soul of America is sick. If you find the impulse within you, try to make it to a place of worship soon. This isn't a dogmatic plea. I'm not telling you this so that you can get x, y, or z. I'm not telling you to believe an exact set of doctrines. You'll figure that out along the way. But if you find faith to be at all intriguing, give it a go and dive in. I can promise you you'll never arrive at a place of certainty, and you'll never have all of your questions answered. But I hold out for the hope that Charlie's essence and soul lives on. I hold out for the hope that goodness isn't just a matter of opinion, but it's the very bedrock of reality.

Bless Charlie Kirk, his wife, his children, his parents, his family, his friends, and all those mourning his loss. May the Lord be with us.