News and Views

“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
– Romans 12:21

Beloved in Christ,

I do not speak after every violent act, for sadly, in a world steeped in violence, hostility and division, my words would come so frequently that they risk becoming background noise. But today, I must raise my voice. The shooting of Charlie Kirk, a man of conviction, a citizen, someone striving to engage with students and to be heard, demands that I speak. No matter who we are, no matter our politics or perspectives, the taking of a human life is ungodly.

It is ungodly that another human being has lost their life over fear, over hate, over the willingness of someone to act on aggression. While we do not yet understand the motives of the assailant, there is not justification for murder. As United Methodists, we are guided by our Social Principles, which call us to uphold the dignity and worth of all people, to affirm basic rights and freedoms, and to work for restorative justice.

As I learned of the murder of Charlie Kirk and the shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado, I had one visceral reaction:

ENOUGH!

• Enough bloodshed.
• Enough violence.
• Enough hatred.
• Enough othering.
• Enough partisanship that persuades us to believe that anyone has license to dismiss, diminish, or destroy another person because they are different, outspoken, conservative or liberal, marginalized or mainstream.

We are all created in God’s image. Every life bears value. Every voice deserves to be heard. Our faith teaches us not only to pray for peace, but to build peace. To seek justice rooted in mercy. To practice kindness. To open our hands to reconciliation. To oppose systems, political, social, or cultural, that encourage dehumanizing our neighbors. These are not optional ideals; they are central to who we are as United Methodists.

We must understand and hold sacrosanct that we belong to one another. Our obligations transcend ideology. Let us continue to commit ourselves to a path of peace, where disagreement does not lead to death, and where the beloved community, which demands mutual respect and the protection of basic human rights, is not a dream, but a reality we live into each day. As Christ followers, may we be at the forefront of engaging in generative theological discussions and civic pluralism. We must reclaim the ability to engage one another beyond our differences.

This tragedy pierces my heart. May the God of mercy receive Charlie Kirk into eternal rest. To Charlie Kirk’s family, to those who loved him, to all who are shaken by this loss: I hold you in prayer. May your grief be held in communal care. And may this painful moment stir within us the courage to say, with conviction, “Enough!”

 

Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware Area
The United Methodist Church