The Cost of Silence: A Call to Speak Up for Christ

The Inciting Event

I wanted to write this a few days ago. The same day that a coward’s bullet took Charlie Kirk’s life. However, it would have been full of anger and vitriol. Some things got in the way of my writing the article when I wanted to do it. It turns out that was a stroke of luck because it gave me a few days to digest what happened and the effect, if any, the events would have on my life. It turns out that it had a profound impact on my life. It made me realize some things that were lacking in my life.

Current events have impacted me deeply. It was not just the Charlie Kirk assassination, though that was undoubtedly the spark that woke me up. It is all the events in the recent past that have snowballed to bring me to where I am right now. It is the school shootings, all the transgender debate, and virtually everything that is happening on the left. It is all the things that challenge my way of life. The things that I am not allowed to have an opinion on, lest I be called backwards and narrow-minded. I have never been of the mind that the loudest voice wins, yet that is where we find ourselves in today's world. This will not be a political debate; these are simply the things that have led me to this realization. This is about my lack of boldness for Christ.

I was familiar with Charlie Kirk, having watched and listened to a significant amount of his dialogue. I was a fan of his, albeit not as big a fan as some people are. I knew he was a staunch Christian, and I had heard many things from him about his faith. I considered him a brother in Christ. I look back now on his boldness for Christ, and I compare it to my own boldness, and there is no comparison. He had me beat by a mile. He was not afraid to debate the things that shaped his thoughts. He was unashamed of the gospel. I am also unashamed of the gospel; the difference is that I am more likely to hold my tongue if I think it will stir controversy.

For I am unashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16. New American Standard Bible 2020.

The Result

My initial reaction was anger. I was at the end of my rope with everything that had been going on. I was tired of the violence. “You mean someone actually shot and killed him because of a difference of opinion?” I thought. I will note that, as of this writing, they have not yet caught the shooter, so we do not know all the reasons yet, and we may never know. Edit: They have since caught the shooter, but there are still unclear things. However, there is some evidence that it happened, in part, due to political ideology. What we DO know is that some people are celebrating this man’s death. He was a husband, father, son, and brother. He was a human being. Have we lost all human feeling? Over political differences? Come on.

Jesus defeated death so you could live. -Charlie Kirk

Then I began to pray over the situation. I turned it over in my mind. I realized that while what people were doing was abhorrent and distasteful, there was much more to it than met the eye. I often think about something I heard from a friend and later read, that we are shocked when the lost act like the lost. They were, and are, acting just like we should expect a lost person to act. There is no love for their fellow man. There is no sympathy. These people hate him because they claim he hates people. What sense does that even make? We, Christians, are called to love one another just like Christ loved us.

And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Mark 12:30-31.

I realized that my anger was misdirected. My problem wasn’t with people. My problem was with the world. I needed to be reminded that this world is not the believer’s home. I needed to be reminded that I am supposed to love people regardless of how they are acting. Ultimately, my problem is with the god of this world. He is the one who has control over the hate and violence. So, what am I to do about that problem?

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12.

The Big Takeaway

The answer is simple. I have known the answer all along. I am supposed to love everyone, regardless of my thoughts about their actions. I need to be bolder in my stance on Jesus Christ. We are commanded to spread the gospel far and wide.

Go, therefore, and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to follow all that I commanded you; and behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age. Matthew 28:19-20.

I will be honest. I have been woefully deficient in obeying this command. I won’t say I haven’t told anyone about Him. I have. As I mentioned earlier, if there is a chance of controversy or argument, I tend to refrain from saying anything. Why? I wish I knew. I am not being obedient, I do know that. From now on, I will be bolder for Christ. I will not hold my tongue when someone’s soul is at stake. I used to say, “What’s the worst that can happen? They can’t kill me.” Well, I guess that’s no longer true. It is unlikely, but possible.

I can take a lesson from the prophet Ezekiel. God instructed Ezekiel to proclaim to Israel His message. God warned Ezekiel that they would not listen because they were an obstinate people. Nevertheless, Ezekiel was commanded to bring that message. It is not up to us if people act on the gospel message. It is up to us to deliver the message. We plant the seed, and God will do the rest.

When I say to the wicked, “You shall certainly die,” and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way so that he may live, that wicked person shall die for wrongdoing, but his blood I will require from your hand. However if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die for wrongdoing, but you have saved yourself. Ezekiel 3:18-19

That seems clear-cut. We must warn a person; if we don’t, the Lord requires our blood. If we warn the person, and they still refuse to come to the Lord, we have completed our obligation. It requires us to open our mouths and share the good news about Jesus with the person.

It is time for me to do what is right. It is time for me to be utterly obedient to the command that Jesus has given me. I will no longer stand by and watch someone face condemnation when I could have said something. I’m not sure what that will cost me, but I can guarantee you that it will cost me much, much less than Jesus dying on a cross for my sin.