The Way of Cain and the Way of Christ
Thoughts on Charlie Kirk’s assassination
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I’m still reeling from Charlie Kirk’s assassination. I wish I had not seen the brief clip of the moment it happened. It is a horror I can’t shake.
The next morning, I woke up wondering if it had all been a bad dream.
But the worst had happened.
A young husband and father was murdered, and disturbingly, many have openly celebrated his death- something that was unthinkable outside the very fringes of society.
Disoriented, I grapple with this unwanted reality, searching for answers—for meaning, clarity, and hope.
Making sense of the senseless
The Scriptures remind us that the grim account of Kirk and his assassin is nothing new. Unfortunately, it’s a story reflected on the fourth page of the Bible: the account of Cain and Abel.
The story is brief. Abel brought God his best, and God looked on him with favor. Cain did not, and he was filled with anger and envy.
While Cain was drowning in his self-pity, the Lord said to him:
Why are you angry?
Why is your face downcast?
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted?
But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.[1]
God urged Cain to see reality:
Abel was not his enemy but a potential mentor.
Cain’s real problem was not Abel, but his own sin.
But Cain would not listen. He wanted to be god. He believed he had the knowledge of good and evil, right and wrong. And from his perspective, it was “good” to get rid of his brother.
Kirk’s assassin ingested the same poisonous fruit. He would not heed the clear call of his conscience. Instead, he called evil “good,” and treated a man who spoke the truth as if he were an enemy to be destroyed.
Even more sinister, some now dance on his grave, deceiving themselves that truth itself can be buried.
The Way of Christ
In the aftermath of such evil, sin crouches on our door as well. Anger and despair tempt us.
Yet, Christ calls us to another way of life:
Love must be sincere.
Hate what is evil.
Cling to what is good…
Do not repay anyone evil for evil.
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [2]
The way of Cain is envy, rage, and destruction. It leads to death.
The way of Christ is repentance, forgiveness, and love. It leads to life and peace.
What to do next
In the days after this tragedy, I found myself scouring the internet for answers. But I saw none—just the noise of anxiety, fear, and hatred only led to more unrest.
So I turned off my phone and opened my Bible.
Here’s what I found:
“Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” [3]
Here’s the good news: We don’t have to give in to all the evil in our world. And we don’t have to dwell on all its darkness. Not because we are naïve, but because our resurrected savior still reigns.
Instead, here’s what we can do:
Pray for the people closest to this tragedy, Charlie’s family and friends.
Pray for those who did evil and celebrate evil. (see Matthew 5:44)
Refuse to participate in the hate.
Daily dwell on what is good and true and noble.
Like in the case of Abel, Charlie’s blood cries out in judgment on this generation. Yet, thankfully, that is not God’s final word to all who hear his call. Instead, Jesus “speaks a better word than the blood of Abel,”[4] a word of love and forgiveness, a word of healing and of peace to all who have ears to hear.
Follow the way of Christ, not the ways of this world.
Do not be overcome by evil.
But overcome evil with good.
[1] Genesis 4:6-7
[2] Romans 12 select verses
[3] Philippians 4:8)
[4] Hebrews 12:24
