Our team of editors only writes one unsigned editorial essay per month, so it’s rare for two of these weekly emails in a row to contain them. But after last week’s assassination of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, we rushed to get our next editorial to the press. As a team, we felt that in a moment like this, the best thing we can do is to call for nonviolence. Not to speculate about the killer’s motives, not to litigate the damage done by Kirk’s rhetoric, but to look to exemplars of nonviolenct action like Martin Luther King Jr. and Leipzig’s St. Nicholas Church.
Because of how shocking and polarizing this assassination has been in the US, we were grateful to publish an additional timely response, this one from former Century intern Lilia Ellis. Ellis, who runs in young progressive circles, witnessed firsthand many gleeful reactions to Kirk’s murder, even from left-leaning Christians. She reflects on Jesus’ instruction to love enemies and urges us to refuse to harden our hearts.
We also have great new content on other subjects. Brandon Ambrosino reflects on the role that faith played in two deaths in an Amish family—and wonders if our own theology can take life. Lyle Enright explores René Girard’s work and considers why people on the left and right both love Girard. Our video of the week features Liz Tichenor, who chats with me about what it might mean to parent with grace during these times.
Jon Mathieu Email me: Do you have thoughts or feelings about the killing of Charlie Kirk?
(Lunchtime chats temporarily disabled during travel season!)
“However offensive his political speech, Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be shot for it. No one does. We’ve seen multiple incidents of targeted political violence in recent years, with victims from across the political spectrum. Openness to violence feels increasingly normal. We have to stand against it in all forms.”
“What is it about enemy love that seems so impossible, so naive, despite being a plain commandment of Jesus? Look at the social media tides, and a common pattern emerges: a special mix of pleasure, anger, and hurt that feeds on itself.”
“How could a faith based on the life and ministry of Jesus ever lead to movements of nationalism, warmongering, and worship of the state? The answer has to do with our theology.”
“René Girard’s theological vocabulary has helped me shed my scales and risk myself in a church community again, despite living in (and being scandalized by) red Ohio.”
