Love over bullet

It’s shocking! Really, really shocking! Charlie Kirk, a Republican influencer, got killed by Tyler Robinson during a campus event in Utah. My heart is heavy, not as a fan of Kirk, but because a human life has been lost under a bizarre circumstance. We’re witnessing right in front of our eyes the sting of how far hatred can go when left unchecked.

Violence does not always take physical forms. Some of the most destructive forms manifest silently, through our words, attitudes, and actions toward those with whom we disagree. As a Church, often diversified under the guise of conservative and liberal affiliations, this is a time for reflection.

Hatred rarely shows itself with a face. It wears the mask of “canceling” someone you don’t agree with. It manifests itself when you demonize others, especially when your differences are theological, political, or cultural. Sometimes it escalates because of colour of skin or even of race, or also because one belongs to a minority group.

The truth is, even in the church, we don’t always agree. Some favor different styles of worship. Others emphasize different doctrines. Some vote differently, speak differently, or understand Scripture from a slightly different perspective. But none of this should ever be a reason to mistreat, exclude, or demonize one another. We should not have only the truth, but also the right attitude coming from that transformative truth. The danger is when we begin to believe that unity equals unicity of thoughts, interpretation, behaviour, decision, and so on.

Let’s not forget that Jesus Himself encountered people with very different opinions. He had engagement with tax collectors, Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, zealots, and outcasts. Some of these encounters were confrontational at times. However, Jesus never compromised on the truth but was always guided by love. He washed the feet of a traitor. He broke bread with skeptics. He forgave those who crucified Him. This is our example.

Paul writes in Galatians 5:15: “If you bite and devour one another, take care that you do not destroy one another.”

The apostle is not just giving warning but reminding us to avoid “spiritual killing” of each other. The church will not be overcome by outside forces if we are united in love. But when we allow bitterness, pride, jealousy, selfishness, etc. to creep in, we become divided and weakened.

Again, we must be wary of what is called “theological violence.” It’s when we use truth as a weapon rather than a tool. It’s when we care more about being right than being gracious. It’s when we seek to prove something rather than reflecting Christlikeness.

So, what’s the alternative? It’s love, the Lord’s supreme commandment (Matt. 22:40).

Love doesn’t mean agreeing on everything. But it does mean choosing humility over arrogance, patience over anger, and unity over ego. It means supporting one another, not destroying one another. Love is the magnet that binds all of us together in Christ.

Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

This is our calling. This is our witness. Love over bullet.

Charlie Kirk, as well as many others, shouldn’t have died this way; even if we didn’t share in some of their statements. This also applies to the many individuals that have been wounded (in physical ways, by words, or by our silence), left the church, or dying spiritually.

So, today, let’s choose to love a little more deeply. Let’s listen more, speak less, and judge more slowly. Let’s talk about love, not bullet. And even when we disagree, let us express it with grace, compassion, and an unwavering desire to remain united as one body in Christ (Phil. 3:15, 16; 4:2).

For in the end, it’s not our opinions that matter most. It’s the love of Christ that must prevail.