By the Words of One’s Mouth

I have been increasingly filled with a subliminal sense of unease over the past months, concerned at the rhetoric coming out of the United States of America, watching the global reaction to Donald Trump’s irrationality, his hysterical attempts to divert attention from the Epstein files, regardless of any consequences.

I have watched a number of Trump’s acolytes, listened to their speeches and interviews, all of which made me more anxious. Charlie Kirk was one of them. As with Trump himself, I had decided to avoid this man in the interests of protecting both my heart and my head.

When the news came through yesterday that he had been shot, that his condition was critical, I prayed for him, as I would for anyone who had been shot. I cannot and will not condone violence, and I hate guns with a passion. No one, in my opinion, carries a gun if they don’t intend to use them. So often when they go off, unintended tragedy follows.

Charlie Kirk should not have been shot. No one should be shot. But Charlie Kirk knew he had set himself up as a target – why else would he have the security detail he did. He also supported the gun industry and easily accepted that his well-stated view on gun control would create victims. Many of his opinions were deeply offensive and many were hurt by him. None of that justifies killing him. Just like nothing could justifying the slaying of Melissa Hortman, the speaker of the Minesota House of Representatives, her husband, and heaven forbid, their dog.

Nothing justifies the attack on Senator Hoffman and his wife. The assassin had a terrible aim, they took 8 and 9 bullets respectively and lived. When apprehended the man had a list of 70 targets. We hear very little about this. Donald Trump when asked if he would phone Tim Walz, said it would be a waste of time. No flags at half mast for these servants to the great US of A

Just last week there was another school shooting, children praying in their chapel at the beginning of the school morning were the target. And at almost the same time as the assassin’s bullet found Charlie Kirk, another school shooting left one dead and two wounded.

It is sad and scary. No, not sad, tragic.

Pete Greig and his 247 Prayer Movement have just hosted a global week of non-stop prayer. Over twenty-five thousand prayer rooms in 125 nations prayed for 24 hours a day from the 1^st to 7^th September. I hate to think what all might have happened if so many were not praying for their nations, for God’s presence and direction, after all that has transpired since then, not least the flattening of the Christian quarter in Gaza.

This must needs be a time for quiet reflection, a time to seek the Lord earnestly, to be certain that we are in His will, and what role it is that He has for us to play in this restless and vicious world of ours.

Anything to stop the killing.