Processing Evil in Light of Charlie Kirk

This article is a summary of the following episode: Processing Evil in Light of Charlie Kirk

Reports of targeted violence have a way of freezing us in place. Many of us learned of the attack on Charlie Kirk within minutes of hearing about other brutal incidents that same week. The details differ. The ache feels the same. Christians wrestle with shock, grief, and anger, and we wonder how to process what we are seeing and how to shepherd those we love.

This article aims to steady you with Scripture, ground your reactions, and point you to the hope that does not move.

Name evil as evil

The Bible gives us moral clarity. Evil is real and objective because God is real and holy. Scripture describes a world that groans under the curse, where sin produces death and misery in spiritual, temporal, and eternal forms. When violence erupts, we do not minimize it, excuse it, or numb ourselves to it. We call it what it is and we mourn.

Expect grief, shock, and righteous anger

Grief and indignation are fitting. You bear God’s image, and your conscience recognizes injustice. The Psalms model tears, protests, and pleas: “How long, O Lord?” Give yourself and your family permission to lament. Read a psalm aloud. Pray with simple words. Ask the Lord for mercy on victims and witnesses. Ask for wisdom for first responders and medical teams.

Understand the deeper conflict

Scripture explains why our world bleeds. Humanity is enslaved to sin, carried along by the course of this age, and darkened by the lies of the evil one. We do not wage war against flesh and blood. Satan murders and deceives, and people act from corrupted desires. Justice must address crimes, yet Christians also see the spiritual battlefield beneath the headlines and respond with spiritual weapons.

Honor God’s provision of civil authority

God grants the sword to governing authorities to restrain evil and preserve order. Pray for leaders, for investigators, and for courts to work with integrity. Seek the peace of your city. Participate wisely as a citizen. Where your vocation allows, pursue policies and practices that protect life and honor the vulnerable.

Remember the mission of the church

The church holds a unique trust from Christ: proclaim the gospel, baptize, teach, pray, and gather at the Lord’s Table. These ordinary means are God’s chosen instruments to bring the dead to life, to free captives, to expose lies, and to build a people who shine as lights in a dark place. When the world shakes, do not abandon the ordinary for the sensational. Double down on Word, prayer, and sacrament. The wisdom of God is displayed through the church to rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

Pastor and parent, speak to your people

• Acknowledge reality. Say plainly what happened and that it is evil.

• Give language for sorrow. Pray a psalm of lament together.

• Point to Christ. He entered a violent world, suffered under injustice, died, and rose. He sympathizes with the fearful and the wounded.

• Offer concrete care. Organize prayer, meals, and support for those affected by local incidents.

• Guard your speech. Refuse to dehumanize image bearers. Reject careless online posts that inflame.

• Keep gathering. Isolation magnifies fear. Presence with the saints strengthens faith.

Practical steps for the week

1. Pray daily for victims, families, first responders, and leaders.

2. Read and pray Psalm 10, 13, 46, or 94 as a household or small group.

3. Invite a neighbor to church and to your table. People are hungry for mercy and stability.

4. Serve in your vocation with justice and compassion. Do good work at a fair price. Protect the weak where you can.

5. Limit doom-scrolling. Take in enough news to pray intelligently, then set the phone down and open your Bible.

6. Seek help if anxiety spikes. Speak with a pastor or trusted friend. You are not alone.

Hold fast to the sure hope

Jesus came to save sinners and to set captives free. He disarmed the powers of darkness at the cross. He reigns now and will return to make all things new. Until that day, the church bears witness to a kingdom that cannot be shaken. The world needs what only Christ gives: forgiveness, righteousness, restoration, and rest.

Come, Lord Jesus. Keep us faithful until you do.