When Hearts Harden: Make Love, Make Peace, Not War

On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and political influencer, was shot and killed during a campus event at Utah Valley University. AP News+2CBS News+2 The shockwaves of this tragedy remind us of how brittle our world is—how quickly division turns to violence, how hearts become hardened, and how little love seems to cost in the currency of compassion.

As Christians and people of legacy, we must face an uncomfortable truth: in days of escalating evil, when truth is treated as hate speech and compassion is considered weakness, love and peace become radical acts.

The Climate of Violence & Heartlessness

We are living in a time when violence and lawlessness are spiking. Neighbors kill neighbors, parents kill children, children kill parents. The U.S. homicide rate remains significantly higher than in many peer nations. The FBI’s recent data shows that murders and shootings are disproportionately affecting political and public figures lately—Charlies, leaders, voices that dared to speak.

Kirk’s assassination joins a growing list of politically motivated killings that blur the line between public discourse and physical danger. Reuters+2The Guardian+2

Moreover, many are becoming desensitized: to violence, to suffering, to heartbreak. We scroll past tragedies. We argue over race, religion, abortion, gender identity—while forgetting simple kindness, simple love, simple peace.

Biblical Truth: Why Hard Hearts Are Dangerous

Scripture warns repeatedly of hardened hearts and the consequences:

• Hebrews 3:13–15 speaks of hearts becoming “hardened through sin’s deceitfulness.”

• Ezekiel 36:26 promises God can give a new heart—a heart of flesh instead of stone.

• Matthew 5:9 declares, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”

  
  

Love is not a sentiment. Peace is not absence of conflict. They are disciplines that require courage, humility, and a heart aligned with God.

No Flesh Knows You Like God Does

One of the tragedies of our age is that people believe they’ve outgrown their need for grace. We judge, we condemn, we decide someone’s backstory means they are beyond repair.

But no human knows your soul like God does. He sees your pain, your fears, your past sins—and still offers restoration. Kirk’s death is a pain felt across the political spectrum, but our response must be shaped by conviction, not hatred.

Compassion Over Condemnation

• We offer condolences for the family of Charlie Kirk, for all who loved him, and for children who will grow up without his voice in this life.

• We must not allow grief to turn into vengeance, indignation, or hardened animosity.

• Let us be people who mourn well, who love visibly, who advocate truth with gentleness.

  
  

Legacy and the Call to Awake

God gives us time—though we don’t know how much. Every heart matter, every moment counts.

Legacy: What will they say of you when you are gone?

• Were you known for kindness, for peace, or for division?

• Did you value truth and honor above comfort and crowd-pleasing?

• Did you use your life as a witness of Christ’s love and peace?

  
  

Let your legacy be one rooted in Christ. It all starts with me—so Let It Be Legacy.