“For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”

– Romans 13:4 (KJV)

It may not be the best thing for one’s sanity, but this author does from time to time make his way to X, formerly known as Twitter. It tends to either be an echo chamber, or incredibly frustrating, but he tends to have a look at what everyone is posting anyways. The murder of Charlie Kirk continues to be a topic that we as a society are still talking about, and rightfully so. Recently in Arizona there was a memorial to Charlie Kirk with about as impressive of a cast as possible. Countless people made speeches and tributes to Kirk’s life and legacy. As an aside, hearing elected officials proclaim the name of Jesus Christ and share the gospel was wonderful. If this is what Christian nationalism looks like, then another serving please.

Two speeches in particular were noteworthy and caught the ire of many on X. Erike Kirk had an incredibly powerful speech which climaxed at the phrase: “I forgive him.” This is in reference to the suspect who is likely to have been the one to have murdered Charlie Kirk in Utah. Many pagans and atheists on X were completely shocked and dumbfounded, they could not understand why she would forgive him, especially so soon. It would be one thing to ask for forgiveness after having apologized, but the fact that she hardly ten days later forgave him was incomprehensible.

On a very different note, President Donald Trump also spoke at the memorial and in fact had the keynote speech. Truth be told, it was not one of Trump’s better speeches, he rambled and a lot of it was irrelevant to Charlie Kirk and seemed tonally off. Nonetheless, one of the most impactful things he said was: “I hate my opponents, and I don’t want the best for them.” As before, people online were outraged. Squishy evangellyfish and those of a deconstructionist background were appalled. How can he hate, why is he not loving? Christians are supposed to be loving and are never allowed to hate, forgiveness is the only option, at least that was the line told.

In the opinion of this author, these two speeches and in fact these two lines, one about forgiveness and one about hate, coexist well. And not only do they co-exist, but they must co-exist. In the current year there seems to be a lot of confusion about what the roles are for individuals and for rulers in the Kingdom of God. We do not all have the same roles, and what may make one person weak in one role, makes them stronger in another. It is this stark delineation of rolls that needs to be made clearer, as the water is very much muddy.

Forgiveness is of course very important. In fact, this author has written a whole article on this topic already that may serve as a worthwhile background to this topic (read it here). The long and short of forgiveness is that it is a core tenet of the gospel. Our God graciously chose to die a painful death on the cross to save us from our sin and forgive us. Not only did He forgive us, but we are implored to forgive others. Not only when they don’t deserve it, but especially when they don’t.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:32 (ESV)

Therefore, Erika Kirk’s response is a perfect Vorbild of the gospel. Other than Charlie himself, she was wronged more than anyone. And yet she still chose to forgive, this should be an example for us all. Humanity is truly evil and wicked to its core and yet God forgave us. Erika forgave the murderer of her husband. We can certainly forgive those who wrong us, no matter how important our little squabbles seem.

Where does Trump’s statement fit in? Well, as a private individual Trump needs to forgive like everyone else. It is a problem that he hates his opponents. However, Trump wears more than just one hat. Rather importantly, he is the President of the United States and as the commander in chief, as the leader of the nation, he is obligated to do justice and righteousness. Government as a concept is not evil (sorry libertarians), God has instituted rulers and authorities for the sake of governing, enacting laws, and delivering justice.

“By me kings reign, and rulers decree what is just; by me princes rule, and nobles, all who govern justly.” – Proverbs 8:15-16 (ESV)

It seems that many forget this, especially the modern church. The government not only can deliver justice and can convict criminals, but the government must do so. Justice is not an optional aspect of governing, rather it is core to its very function. Our rulers are not obligated to provide welfare, nor are they required to build infrastructure. Though of course they can do these things, they are extras. Delivering fair and impartial justice based on God’s standards is compulsory. If a government does not justly punish those who do evil, the government ceases to be doing its job. This is why Trump’s statement should give us hope and joy. Sure, at a personal level we pray that he forgives others, but as President we don’t want him to forgive, we want him to be just. For the sake of Erika Kirk, it is more important that the government gives her justice, all while she forgives the man who did her wrong.

“Learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.” – Isaiah 1:17 (ESV)

It appears that most Western governments, especially the United States, are failing on all accounts. There seems to be no heart or stomach for justice. The United States is by far and away the most dangerous country in the Western world, with crime rates in some cities that are worse than South Africa. World renowned cities like Washington DC, Chicago, and increasingly New York City are swimming in crime and it’s not getting better. One story in particular also took X and the whole internet by storm, that is the killing of Iryna Zarutska. She was a Ukrainian refugee who was stabbed in Charlotte, North Carolina by a career criminal who had already been charged with a slew of felonies. And yet, he was allowed to go free.

Unfortunately it gets worse. While crime rates in the United States are exceptionally high, Europe seems to want to join. Every year there are more islamic terrorist attacks, stabbings, gang violence, rapes, and murder. Some European governments take it a step further into absurdity. Fair warning, this is a very gruesome and disgusting example, proceed with caution. There was a case in Germany of a teenage girl who was raped by a muslim migrant and one of her friends went on a rant on the internet and said some insensitive things about him. How one could offend such a heinous criminal is beyond me, but nevermind. The migrant rapist ended up getting a pitifully light sentence and in fact the friend of the girl was given a longer and harsher sentence for her hate speech. This is indefensible, completely and entirely irrepressible. In no sane society would this ever fly, and yet this is the reality that we are all living in.

It is this author’s view that a lot of the softness on crime is due to the feminization of society, and more specifically the sin of empathy. This topic is worth its own discussion, so it won’t be dived into deeper here. Rulers need to remember, or be reminded that they will be held responsible for their actions or lack thereof. Our authorities cannot just let people go and hope that some random social worker will help. Many of those who do evil were first affected by it and they do often need help. That does not negate the fact that everyone needs to be punished for the evil and injustice that they commit, period. Justice needs to be served regardless.

“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” – Leviticus 19:15 (ESV)

Our governments are failing us. There are many things that a government could do, but it is most important to not forget what they are obliged to do. This is where we as citizens can make a difference. We cannot let this stand. Criminals should be locked up for a long time, and in many causes executed. Our God is a just God and He is glorified by righteousness and justice. It is this author’s view that Christian countries must pursue righteousness. Women, children, the old, and the disabled should all feel comfortable to be able to move freely through our cities and streets. If large swaths of a city should be avoided, then the government has failed. In particular, the men who God has given the responsibility to rule have failed. The current anarcho-tyranny that we find ourselves in is not conducive to a thriving and moral society.

May God bless Erika Kirk for her forgiveness and for her boldness to be an example for all of us. We can never forgive too much. All the while, our government needs to be strong and it needs to deliver justice. For Erika Kirk’s forgiveness, she deserves justice from her rulers. The government owes it to her and the countless others who have been victims of evil to serve justice and to bring God glory by stamping out evil. God has given our leaders a lot of responsibility and they will be held responsible for their allowance of wickedness. The silver lining here is that God is the ultimate and final judge. People may escape the law in this lifetime, but not for eternity. God is just and he will judge the living and the dead. Praise God that he forgives even one sinner.

Fiat justitia ruat caelum.

“Thus saith the Lord; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.” – Jeremiah 22:3 (KJV)