Some people want to know why I haven’t addressed the assassination of Charlie Kirk from the pulpit. Let me be blunt: it’s not because I don’t care. I care deeply. The death of any human being, especially someone who sought to serve God, is tragic. But my calling as a pastor is not to turn the pulpit into a press conference for my opinions.
Lutherans have long held to what’s called the theology of the two kingdoms. God rules the world in two ways: through the kingdom of the temporary (government, civic life, law) and the kingdom of the eternal (the Gospel, forgiveness, eternal life). Both belong to God. But they are not the same. And when pastors confuse the two, the Church loses its voice.
Here’s the truth: I will not hijack Jesus’ pulpit to carry water for any political agenda – left or right. That’s not what I was ordained to do. I don’t preach left or right. I preach the hands of a Savior stretched out on a cross, reaching to the left and to the right, to forgive us all.
Do I think Charlie Kirk’s death is horrific? Yes. Do I think the endless stream of abortions, suicides, wars, and injustices are also horrific? Absolutely. Which one deserves more outrage? That’s a political debate. But the pulpit is not a podium for outrage. The pulpit is the place for Christ crucified for sinners, for the broken, for all of us.
If you want political hot takes, there are endless pundits who will give them to you. If you want to know where I personally stand, we can sit down and talk. But if you want the living Word of God, the one thing that actually saves, you’ll hear it every Sunday from this pulpit, unfiltered and undistracted by the latest headlines.
It doesn’t mean that I’m avoiding hard truths by any means. Because we can head on address the truths of this world in winsome ways without calling on names other than the name of Jesus. We can decry violence because that’s what Jesus did. We can serve our neighbors because that’s exactly what Jesus did. We can embrace our neighbors regardless of walk of life, because that’s what Jesus did.
We can do all of these things without standing on the temporary ground of political debates. So yes, I do have very strong opinions. I will gladly share those with inquiring minds in one on one settings when the invitation arises. I have thoughts but rarely do people ask about those thoughts.
Friends at the end of the day, kingdoms rise and fall, voices rage, and leaders die. But only one Word endures forever. And that’s the Word I am called to preach. That’s the Word that I will continue to proclaim. That’s what FREEDOM in the FAITH looks like.
Well said, Pastor Derek!
I do agree you should not preach on political issues. But we pray for families going thru tragedies and illnesses and also for families when they have lost someone to illness etc in the congregation There should be nothing wrong with praying for our country during times of disaster
Just my opinion.
Thanks for the opportunity to comment
Every pastor who fails to discuss the times we are living in with relevance to Scripture fails their parishioners The Bible has real world application every single day. Many people were in mourning, and frankly, still are. In the level of millions worldwide over Charlie’s death. They came to church looking for comfort and answers, and the churches that talked about it will have new believers coming to stay, and the churches that didn’t will lose the believers they did have because they literally got no comfort or help, and will move to those that did. We address other things from the pulpit. Why not this?
Thanks for the comments! I totally agree that a biblical approach must be given to the events of our culture. The messages post tragic events should provide a Biblical lens through which to see the tragedy we experience, Charlie or otherwise. We can do that without preaching “Charlie.” Frankly that’s why I haven’t preached his name. I shouldn’t have to. If people really knew what it was that defined Charlie’s life they wouldn’t want his name said but the name he held higher than his own. So yes we should preach about how we face struggles in this world but we must keep the cross of Jesus as the primary focus. Thanks!