We Must Confront Violence Today

Part 2 in our special Patriot Day coverage.

Yesterday’s news of the tragic murder of Christian leader Charlie Kirk shook me to my core. It follows other alarming acts of political violence, including the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in July 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. And it stirred memories of other dark days in American history: the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and even the horror of September 11, 2001.

These are not the same events, but they all remind us of the same truth — we live in a world where violence can erupt without warning, and outrage can spill over into tragedy. Just as Americans on 9/11 realized that morning that life as we knew it had changed, so too do we today stand on the precipice of growing anger and division in our society.

This is a time for us to come together. It is a time to sit across the table from someone who doesn’t think like we do and have honest, difficult dialogue. I wish it were as simple as talking, sharing, and agreeing to disagree while still remaining friends. But too often in today’s society, people retreat into echo chambers, carrying agendas instead of compassion, no longer looking out for their fellow man.

History shows us the cost of division.

Whether we agreed with Charlie’s politics or not — and I did — his belief that Christianity provides the moral foundation for a healthy society is one we must grapple with. He often said, “Freedom is not sustainable if you remove Christianity. Eventually, it will implode. Eventually, you will be ruled simply by your senses.” His conviction was that a society without faith would crumble into survival of the fittest, while a society grounded in faith would produce better citizens, anchored in hope and in love.

As a journalist, I have always known there is “a target on my back.” Journalists across the spectrum carry that risk. But my greater responsibility is not to protect myself — it is to tell the truth, to be transparent, and to shine the light of Christ into a broken world. My mission has always been more about His Kingdom than my own safety.

And so I return to the call of Scripture:

Being a peacemaker does not mean surrendering truth. It does not mean turning a blind eye to evil or compromising on what Scripture teaches. But it does mean that even in disagreement — even in the most contentious debates — we treat every person with dignity, remembering that each one is created in the image of God (Genesis 1:27).

The news yesterday devastated me. Like many, I was shocked, angered, and heartbroken. But it also reminded me of the deep responsibility we carry as people of faith. We are called to speak truth boldly, yes — but we are also called to love, even those we do not agree with. “We love because He first loved us.” (1 John 4:19)

When violence tears apart lives, when division deepens, when fear takes hold, our only hope is in Jesus Christ. Only His love has the power to heal wounds, bridge divides, and transform hearts. Only His Spirit can give us the wisdom and discernment to navigate an evil world.

I was horrified on 9/11, as we all were. I was horrified by the attempted assassination of President Trump in 2024. And I am horrified now by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. The common thread is not just the violence itself, but the brokenness of a world that seems to be losing its grip on compassion and truth.

The Bible reminds us to love our neighbor as ourselves (Matthew 22:39). That command doesn’t come with conditions. It doesn’t say “love your neighbor if they think like you” or “love your neighbor if you agree with them.” It simply says to love.

That is what I hope we remember in this moment: violence, division, and hatred can never build a better society. But love, respect, dialogue, and truth — grounded in Jesus Christ — can.

As a nation, and especially here in the Highlands, may we commit ourselves to being peacemakers, to praying for strength and guidance, and to honoring God in how we live and how we love. Because while the world may be divided, the love of Christ is greater still.  

Be a light. Be Bright. Be Bold.