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Don’t You Dare Call the Shooting of Charlie Kirk Justified

Don’t You Dare Call the Shooting of Charlie Kirk Justified

Last updated on: September 10, 2025 at 11:41 pm by Jeff Hood

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Don’t You Dare Call the Shooting of Charlie Kirk Justified 2025-09-10T23:41:43-06:00 Jeff Hood

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Charlie Kirk

Donald Trump & Charlie Kirk / Wikimedia Commons

The Shooting of Charlie Kirk: Evil.

A Horrendous Act of Violence

The news of Charlie Kirk being shot hit me like a punch I didn’t see coming. I won’t lie…I’ve disagreed with almost everything he has said for a long time. He uses his platform to shape ideas that harm people. And yet, none of that gives anyone the right to shoot someone. None of it makes this act anything less than horrendous. The violence itself is a wound on our society…a stark reminder that anger and division have real consequences beyond words and tweets.

Remembering Charlie Kirk’s Humanity

For all the noise that surrounds him, it’s important to remember that Charlie Kirk is a human being before he’s a public figure. He is someone’s family and friend. Behind the podiums and headlines is a person who eats quick meals, laughs at dumb jokes, worries about the future and carries private struggles just like the rest of us. It’s far too easy to flatten people into their politics and forget their humanity.

The Call of Jesus in Response to The Shooting of Charlie Kirk

What strikes me most is how easy it is to fall into this trap of cyclical violence and hate…even for those who profess love. Retaliation is not how Jesus taught us to live. “Love your enemies. Pray for those who persecute you.” Those words from Matthew 5:44 are heavy…almost unbearable sometimes…but they are the path forward. We pray for Charlie Kirk. Not because we condone what he says or what he does…but because he is a human being…because his life matters…and because the work of God in the world does not exclude anyone…not even those we strongly and passionately oppose.

Charlie Kirk and a Society that Breeds Violence

This is also a moment to reflect on the society that allows these things to happen. Violence doesn’t spring from nothing. It grows from isolation…from fear…from the normalization of anger…from systems that teach some people that the only way to be heard is through force. Social justice isn’t just a buzzword…it’s a moral necessity. People are hurting, communities are under siege and the wounds go far beyond one shooting.

Following Jesus With Justice and Mercy

I keep thinking about how Jesus moved among people who were broken, marginalized and overlooked. He didn’t respond with violence. He didn’t meet hate with hate. He stood with the oppressed. He called out the powerful. He lived the radical mercy that God asks of us. That’s our guide. That’s what it looks like to respond with courage…not vengeance. To confront injustice without becoming the very thing we oppose.

Prayer as Active Resistance to Charlie Kirk and those We Disagree With

And yes, it is hard. It is human to want Kirk to pay for the harm his ideas cause. But vengeance belongs to God. Our responsibility is to pray, to act justly, to love and be witnesses of the truth in a world that too often values power over life. Prayer is not passive. Prayer is active. Prayer is showing up in the spiritual and moral sense, asking God to protect, to heal and to guide…not just Kirk…but ourselves and the communities around us.

Acting With Compassion and Courage

So we pray. For Kirk. For the people impacted by this violence. For the society that fosters it. For ourselves, that we might respond with clarity, compassion and courage. And then, we act. We speak for justice. We build communities where the vulnerable are protected. We fight not with guns, but with integrity, compassion and moral courage. That is how we resist the spiral of hate that threatens all of us.

Conclusion: Faith, Hope and Justice

This shooting is horrendous. It’s frightening. It should shake us to our cores. But it can also remind us who we are called to be. Christians are called to love, to act, to stand for life, to confront injustice and to embody mercy. Not selectively, not for convenience, not only for those we agree with…but for everyone. That is the work of faith. That is the work of hope. That is the work of justice. That is how we respond to violence in a world desperately in need of all three.

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About The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood

The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood is a theologian, writer, and activist who has spent years ministering to people on death row. As a spiritual advisor and witness to executions, he speaks out against state violence and calls for a society rooted in justice, mercy, and the sacredness of life. You can read more about the author here.

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