There is a poignant scene in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, in which Harry is shown a photo of the original members of the order, including his parents and godfather. Many of those in the picture were later killed in the fight against Voldemort and his “death eaters,” others were tortured into madness. What struck me already the first time I read that passage, now over twenty years ago, was the profound contrast between the Order of the Phoenix and the death eaters.
The phoenix is no arbitrary or accidental mascot for the order, as it is an ancient symbol of the Resurrection, an underlying theme throughout the Harry Potter series. The members of the Order of the Phoenix were ready and willing to suffer and to sacrifice, even to the point of death, for the sake of love and for the truth, because of their confidence in the Life to come. By contrast, Voldemort and his death eaters are driven by a desperate fear of death, which propels them into every extreme of evil and violence in their vain attempts to avoid death at all costs.
As literary fiction goes, this contrast portrays an accurate distinction between the sure and certain hope that we have as Christians and the futile desperation of those who know neither the power of God nor the hope of the Resurrection, who harden their hearts and sell their souls to gain this world and cling to it. Christians are confident and courageous in the face of sin, death, and evil, because they know and trust the forgiveness of Christ and the promise of His Resurrection. They boldly speak the truth, even when they suffer for it, because their hearts and minds are fixed on Christ and the Life everlasting. Ironically, with their hope in the Resurrection of the body, it is Christians who are also the most ardent champions and defenders of human life, animated by faith and charity to love and serve and care for their neighbors in this body and life on earth.
These thoughts have come back to my mind with some force over this past week, as I have struggled to process the cold-blooded murder of a fellow Christian in the open public square. I have been torn between the strong sense that I should have something to say in response to this horrific event, and the fatigue I have felt at the avalanche of words from so many others. I have not wanted to add my own turbulent thoughts and feelings to the noise and chaos of the moment. But we are to be ready at all times to give a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15). And it is, indeed, only that hope and confidence in Christ that is able to make sense of this fallen world.
When I was first told that there were people applauding, celebrating, and rejoicing in the murder of Charlie Kirk, I shuddered at the thought, but I assumed that such things were happening only at the outlying fringes of society. Sadly, that does not appear to be the case. I am grateful for the folks on all sides of the political divide who have decried such attitudes and behaviors. But I am deeply troubled, not only by the tragically inappropriate rhetoric, but by the rationale behind it.
The persistent narrative on the part of those who have cheered for (or excused) this wicked crime is that Charlie was a hateful man who spoke and acted with hate toward others. But I have yet to see any evidence or indication that such accusations and assertions are even remotely true. As far as I have been able to discern – from what I have read and watched and listened to from Charlie – he passionately professed his faith in Christ Jesus and advocated for biblical and natural values. And what has also become increasingly clear is that he did so respectfully and patiently, even in the face of ridicule and contempt, while also allowing his opponents to make their points. He set a good example of what public debate and dialogue could (and should) be like. No doubt he had his faults and weaknesses, that is a given for all of us poor sinners. And I know there were areas of his theology that I would not agree with. All of that is in the past, and he is with the Lord now. But the sobering realization is that what he stood for – what he publicly professed – for which he has been called “hateful,” and for which he was murdered – is also my faith and my confession, as well as that of my wife and children, my friends and colleagues, and the Christian Church.
I’m not talking about political parties, but about the truth of God’s Word and the truth of His good creation. That Christ Jesus is the incarnate Son of God, who came into this world to save sinners by His Cross and Resurrection. That God made man in His Image and Likeness, male and female, and that marriage is the lifelong union of one man and one woman in heart, mind, body, soul, and spirit. That every human life is sacred and precious, regardless of ethnicity, ability, sex, or any other quality or distinction, even from the first moment of conception.
My wife and I have considered and talked about the fact that Charlie Kirk was exactly a year to-the-day older than our second eldest son (our third eldest child). They share the same birthday, the 14th of October. And Charlie’s killer is just a year or so older than our second youngest son (our third youngest child). Charlie’s children are basically the same ages as half a dozen of our grandchildren. Those realizations humanize the whole event for me like nothing else could do. Couple those observations with the fact that my sons and I believe, teach, and confess the same biblical and natural values for which this young husband and father was murdered in front of his family, and it all but doubles me over like a sucker punch to the gut.
As Christians, who know the hope of the Resurrection, we are bold and courageous by the grace of God, by the working of His Word and Holy Spirit in our hearts and minds, bodies and souls. As we have already died with Christ in the waters of Holy Baptism, and as our lives are safely hidden with Christ in God in the heavenly places, we know that the devil, the world, and evil men can harm us none. Whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s! And even in the face of death and the grave, we do not mourn as others do, who have no hope, but with the peace and joy and blessed confidence of the Resurrection and the Life everlasting. Thus are we free and brave to go about our jobs, to do the work of our callings, to love and serve our families and our neighbors, and to pray even for our enemies and persecutors and those who hate us and would hurt us.
For all of that, I also know the frailty and weakness of my own flesh. I know the fear that would take the very heart of me, the temptation to keep my mouth shut and my head down when I really need to stand up and be counted. And in this respect, this past week has been a call to repentance for all those times when I have succumbed to timidity and neglected to confess the faith once delivered to the saints. And it points me to the constant vigilance of prayer, that I not be led into temptation, but that the Lord would preserve my faith and raise me up to strengthen my brothers.
The Church’s voice does need to be heard, not as a political party, and not as the agent of any political party, but as the Body of Christ on earth. She is called to confess what God has spoken to us by His Son, both the Law and the Gospel, unto repentance and faith in the forgiveness of sins. She does so through her pastors and teachers, to be sure, within each of our congregations. And so, in turn, is each and every Christian given to confess what we have heard and received from the Lord: To pray and intercede for ourselves and for one another, for our pastors and our congregations, for our neighbors and our nation, and for those who sin against us. To sing the Psalms and hymns and spiritual songs whereby the Spirit comforts and encourages all of us in and with the living and active Word of God. To speak with grace and mercy and peace within our respective callings and stations in life, and to match our words of love with acts of charity. To restore our erring brothers and sisters in a spirit of gentleness, in the humility of our own daily repentance, and in the confidence that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God” (Hebrews 12:1-2).