Making Sense of the Senseless

There is no doubt that yesterday’s news reverberated across international airwaves with stunning speed.

I had planned to send a different message today, but this moment calls for something deeper. Our nation needs to pause, to pray, and then to rise again — with renewed courage and a strengthened spirit.

As Charlie Kirk was called home yesterday, we have witnessed something remarkable in the midst of tragedy: a powerful unity of purpose.

Yes, there will be voices that mock, scoff, and even celebrate such darkness. But we must do what seems impossible — we must pray for them. Pray for hearts to be changed, for courage to rise within us, and for their eyes to be opened to truth. This is nothing less than a battle between good and evil.

How do we make sense of something so senseless?

Perhaps we cannot. Our hearts are not shaped to dwell in such darkness. Our minds were not made to comprehend that level of depravity. And maybe that is a mercy — a reminder that light is not meant to understand the ways of the dark.

I received this text this morning that I believe will resonate with most everyone:

“It's crazy to think we feel so deeply for someone we didn't personally know but all I can fathom is he is our brother in Christ and we feel the loss deeply on a spiritual level”

Charlie’s passing feels different — heavier — because in one way or another, all of us have faced persecution. From the smallest disagreement over beliefs or convictions, to the deeper wounds of divorce, harassment, or even being asked to leave the very church we loved, we know what it is to suffer for what we hold dear.

This loss feels personal because at our core, we all share the same desire: to secure a better future for our children and for the generations to come. No one spoke to the hearts of this generation’s “lost sheep” quite like Charlie did.

And while his fight played out on a public stage, our battles may be quieter — yet the mission is the same. We labor, we sacrifice, we speak up — for the hope that we might leave this world a little better than we found it.

Regardless of our personal relationship with someone lost to such a senseless act, one thing remains certain: we do not answer violence with violence. We do not lash out with words meant to wound. Instead, we stand firm, we gather renewed grit, and we press forward — in spite of the evil.

In case you missed it, Catherine wrote a beautiful piece last night, “A Turning Point: Honoring Charlie Kirk". It is a powerful tribute to a fellow Watchman who lived — and ultimately gave — his life for the cause of liberty.

I encourage you to use today as a moment of gratitude. Our calling to serve is deep and constant, but we are also given the wisdom to rest when it is needed. Today is one of those days.

Today we honor Charlie, his legacy, and this new Turning Point for America.

^“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” - John 12:24

God bless you and God bless America! 🇺🇸

Ever onward!