Pastor’s Corner 9-14-2025

Dear church friends.

Yesterday was a hard day. News broke that Charlie Kirk—the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA and a central figure in MAGA politics—was shot and killed while speaking at Utah Valley University. His death immediately sparked a storm of responses: some rushing to place blame, others crying out for war, and many seizing the tragedy for political gain.

At the same time, a school shooting in Washington left students dead and wounded, and our national political discourse grew even more bitter and fractured. These events remind us of just how fragile life is, and how easily anger, fear, and rhetoric can spiral into destruction.

Our lectionary text from 1 Timothy 1:1–20 offers a word for such a moment. Paul urges Timothy to hold fast to “love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith.” He warns of how people can become consumed with disputes and empty talk, and he confesses that he himself was once “a man of violence” until Christ’s mercy transformed him.

This is a difficult text to sit with in light of current events. Charlie Kirk’s legacy is complicated: he energized young people, even across divides, but also fueled rhetoric that often demeaned others. Yet Paul’s witness reminds us that no life is beyond God’s mercy—and that the church’s calling is not to join the clamor of blame, but to keep our hearts anchored in love and our consciences clear.

Kirk’s rise showed us that young people can be moved to engage powerfully in civic life. His death challenges us to imagine healthier, more unifying ways to channel that same energy and passion. The question before us is whether we are up for that challenge. When we support our youth collective and the Spirit of Life youth (Auggie, Ash, Trajan), our church is helping youth find positive channels for their civic energy. 

As Paul writes, the alternative is “shipwreck.” But the way of Christ is mercy received, love practiced, and faith kept alive—even in the storm.

Let us pray for the families of those who died, for young people longing to make meaning of the world, our Youth Collective, and for the courage to bear witness to Christ’s love in a time of deep division.

Faithfully,

Pr. Josh