Pastor Calls for Compassion After Controversial Activist’s Death
In a stirring address at The Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York, Senior Pastor Jim Cymbala condemned the assassination of Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, labeling the act as driven by hate. He also criticized those celebrating Kirk’s death, emphasizing the un-Christian nature of such reactions.
During his Sunday service, Cymbala remarked, “If you took some joy or some satisfaction or you somehow justified the killing of Charlie Kirk, you’re a very sick individual and you should, you really got to get along with God and check yourself because something’s really wrong with you.” His message was delivered to a congregation that regularly sees about 10,000 worshipers each week.
Charlie Kirk, aged 31, was a notable Christian conservative activist who founded TPUSA Faith. He was shot fatally in the neck while at Utah Valley University. This tragic event led to polarized reactions globally, with some, including the Rev. Howard-John Wesley from the Alfred Street Baptist Church, refusing to honor Kirk due to his controversial views, branding him as a “proud racist.”
Wesley stated from his pulpit, “Charlie Kirk did not deserve to be murdered. But I’m overwhelmed to see the nation’s flag fly at half-staff for a man who was a proud racist and spent his entire life sowing seeds of division and hatred into this land.” Wesley further expressed frustration at the differing responses to various high-profile deaths.
Pastor Cymbala highlighted the pervasive nature of hate in today’s world and called for a Church-driven response rooted in love. “We live in a very ugly, hateful world right now… It’s political. It’s racial. It’s ugly,” he stated, urging the Church to embody the teachings of Christ and act as a beacon of love and change.
He further critiqued the infiltration of secular conflicts into religious spaces, emphasizing, “So we have haters in the Church, and that, of course, is just overwhelmingly sad, tragic.” Cymbala referenced scriptures from 1 John 3:11-15 and 1 John 4:19-21, asserting the importance of love as a core Christian value.
In a powerful reminder of universal compassion, Cymbala proclaimed, “Christ died for George Floyd. Christ died for Charlie Kirk. Christ died for everyone. How can we rejoice over the death of someone that Jesus loves?”
He concluded by asserting a Christian identity above all other affiliations, “Do not identify yourself first as anything but a Christian. We are Christians first.”
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
