31-24

Sometimes a post begins with an idea, sometimes it begins with a title.  Today, it's the latter.  And to ensure you know my pronunciation intent, I'll spell it out for you: "thirty-one, twenty-four".  No, this isn't the beginning of some girl's measurements.  If you're reading this in real time (today's original posting date), then you probably already have an idea of what I might touch on this morning.  Meet me after the jump break if you're curious to know more.

His numbered days complete

At age thirty-one

His days without number

In Heaven begun

The preceding stanza is from my poem, entitled "May 10, 1970".  Or at least that was supposed to be the title.  In my mind (because it's how I always refer to it), the actual title is the one I used to introduce the poem on this blog over 15 years ago, "A Day to Remember". 

Charlie Kirk is dead.  Murdered.  Assassinated.  A father of small children, who was only thirty-one years old.

The same age my Daddy died.  For me personally, that's what hit me the most.  

Since Charlie's influence mostly was targeted toward young people, I knew of him but I don't know if I ever watched or listened to him before.  Sadly, the websites for his two organizations Turning Point USA, and Turning Point USA Faith haven't even been updated yet (as I write this) from yesterday tragic event.  I do know my 23-year-old daughter called me in great distress yesterday.  We talked about what happened and about the horrific slaying of the Ukrainian young woman, Iryna Zarutska, in Charlotte, NC.  Our President has ordered the flags to be flown at half staff on September 14th in honor of his memory. And you can watch his remarks about Charlie here, remarks made by someone who really knew him and worked with him.

This is a short excerpt (but I encourage you to listen to the whole thing):

"This is a dark moment for America. Charlie Kirk traveled the nation, joyfully engaging with everyone interested in good-faith debate. His mission was to bring young people into the political process—which he did better than anybody ever—to share his love of country and to spread the simple words of common sense.

On campuses nationwide, he championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor, and grace."

"Good-faith debate".  We have people of various political and religious/non-religious beliefs reading this blog.  I'm not here to offend or defend, just offer my perspective on things.  And it's easy to do so here, as it's mostly one-sided.  You can read, skim, or skip any particular post.  Invariably, my perspective is rooted in my personal experiences, upbringing, and Biblical Worldview, which is totally unique to me (when I'm the one posting).  One doesn't have to agree with me, but hopefully, if you disagree you'd respect my right to free speech and intent at personal discourse.

It's in the First Amendment of our Constitution.  A core principle of The United States of America.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

So many types of speech have been demonized in the last 20 years or so, where we often end up policing ourselves, or tip-toeing judiciously, in hopes of not offending or being cancelled. It's reasonable to do so to some degree, not everything you think (or your first take {emotional} reactions) need to be proclaimed to the world either verbally or in written form.  ApologetiX released a song about this subject a few months ago as a reminder of the dangers of speaking rashly.  The lyrics can be found here with a short sample below:

Oh, for those who give explosive takes

Don't ya be snide — pump on the brakes

Speech pollutes you

This brings to mind another song, Glen Campbell's "Try A Little Kindness":

If you see your brother standing by the road

With a heavy load from the seeds he sowed

And if you see your sister falling by the way

Just stop and say you're goin' the wrong way

You've got to try a little kindness yes show a little kindness

Yes shine your light for everyone to see

And if you'll try a little kindness and you'll overlook the blindness

Of the narrow minded people on the narrow minded streets

Don't walk around the down and out lend a helping hand instead of doubt

And the kindness that you show every day will help someone along their way

You've got to try a little kindness...

You've got to try a little kindness...

It's okay to engage people in a kind way, sharing your opinion in hopes of helping them.  You shouldn't have to lose your life over it.  And one may think that Charlie Kirk's methods weren't kind.  That's a matter of opinion.  But I would caution against judging someone's speech or motivations by curated and clipped soundbites, versus seeing things in complete context or in person.  The real world is usually more sensible (although not yesterday), than the monkey-bot fueled hate of the internet.

Okay, back to my original objective...

A person lost their life unexpectedly yesterday.  And it should remind all of us that no one is promised a tomorrow, and it would be wise to consider, "What if this were your last day?"

I also wanted to offer my thoughts with regard to being a survivor of losing your 31-year-old father, and what the future could portend for Charlie's young children who will never remember him.

Their Dad will be larger than life and shape their whole life, likely for the good.

"If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine"

Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi

Star Wars (1977)

I may have mentioned this before (long ago), but I'm at a point in my life (and have been for quite sometime) that I don't regret my Daddy's passing in the usual sense.  Meaning I don't wish that he had lived because I'm who I am today because the Lord took him when he did. 

And the look on her face as she opened door

Was like an old joke told by a friend

It'd taken ten more years, but she'd found her smile

When I asked her, why she looked so happy now

She said, "I finally like myself, at last I like myself"

from "Sequel" by Harry Chapin (1980)

Sure, I longed to have known him and wanted him there during my life.  But that's an imagined alternate reality, not the one I lived.  I believe that his legacy of faith from his absence is even more far-reaching than it would have been if he were still here.  Just seeing my six children growing in their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is proof of that to me.  "God doesn't have any grandchildren" as the saying goes, meaning your decision to follow Christ isn't automatic, inherited, or genetic.  It's a personal decision by you alone.  However, the potential for your family is great and promising for those who love the Lord:

Deuteronomy 7:9

"Know therefore that the Lord your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commandments."

Psalm 37:4

"Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart."

3 John 4

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

I fully believe that if my father had known what the Lord would do by taking him "early", he would've been overjoyed.

But early or untimely is only from our point of view not God's.

Job 14:5

"A man’s days are numbered. You know the number of his months. He cannot live longer than the time You have set."

Psalm 39:4-5

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end

    and the number of my days;

    let me know how fleeting my life is.

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;

    the span of my years is as nothing before you.

Everyone is but a breath,

    even those who seem secure." 

Psalm 90:12

"So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom" 

It can be quite sobering.  And Charlie Kirk certainly wasn't the only person who died yesterday, focusing on his death doesn't take away from any other loss.  Then we have today, September 11th, marking the 24th anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist Attack on our country, when thousands lost their lives to unabashed hatred and violence. 

So many people.  Nameless to most of us, not big-type "personalities" like Charlie Kirk, but cared for by someone in their lives.  Families and friends that had to go on without them.  The pain, suffering, and struggle is real, and doesn't diminish quickly, if it ever fully can.  And the impact, not just from the loss, but of the surprise attack and chaotic confusion, which erodes our presumed security about things.  There were a lot of people in attendance on that Utah campus yesterday, seeing the unthinkable.  They'll never be the same, just like those of us who experienced 9/11 aren't the same either.

God allowed both things to happen, but that's not the same thing as Him causing them to happen.  We live in a fallen world and sinful man has the free will to do as he wants, often destructively.  But the Lord isn't sleeping at the wheel, or remote from the situation.  He'll accomplish His purposes, which will be better than we can imagine.  You see this in the account of Joseph being sold into slavey by his brothers, the injustice he endured, and ultimately the position he was in to save others:

Genesis 50:20

"You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives."

As a believer in Jesus Christ, the legacy of Charlie Kirk will most likely surpass anything he had done up to this point.

Romans 8:28

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

"All things", even martyrdom.  Let's pray that society as a whole can come together and rail against these senseless killings, and begin to see those different from us as human beings, created in the image of God, and of value.  Let's turn tragedy into something good.