A few days ago, we began both of our weekend church gatherings with communion. I introduced this time together by sharing these thoughts:

We’re going to start our time tonight by sharing together in communion. But before we do, there are some things I think we need to address. This has been a troubling week. Many of you have seen the video of the shooting of Charlie Kirk, and I’m sure you’ve all heard about it. This has happened in a climate of even more violence. We now have more school shootings than we can even keep track of.

What happened to Charlie Kirk was, of course, a political assassination. But it’s not the first political assassination for us—not even recently. Just a few weeks ago, the Speaker of the House in Minnesota was assassinated, along with her husband. And the same person who murdered them attempted to also kill another Democratic lawmaker and his wife, although thankfully they survived. It would be all too easy to come up with a growing list of acts of political violence, coming from both sides.

Charlie Kirk’s death has drawn attention because he was so young, because he was very prominent, and because of the extremely public nature of his murder. Now, this isn’t the time or the place for us to praise Charlie Kirk or criticize Charlie Kirk. It’s not the time for us to discuss his politics or his methods. Just as with anyone who is killed, this is a senseless tragedy. Regardless of your feelings about Charlie Kirk, our hearts go out to his family, his young wife and their two little children, aged three and one. How horribly tragic!

This isn’t exclusively a Republican problem or exclusively a Democratic problem; it’s not primarily a progressive problem or a conservative problem. It’s an Americanproblem. There are extremists on both sides of our political divide who believe it’s acceptable—and even necessary—to use violence to achieve their political goals. But any kind of political violence—from the left or the right—is an assault on the very fabric of our society as Americans. It’s an assault on all of us. It’s an attack against the principles on which our nation was founded. And—much more importantly for us here tonight—it is completely at odds with the gospel of Jesus Christ.

But political violence doesn’t happen in a vacuum. In fact, political violence becomes inevitable when too many people are creating the right conditions for political violence. Not because they’re part of the political process, or share in the broader political conversation. Not because they speak out about what they feel to be right or wrong in society and government. No, we create an atmosphere that breeds political violence when we demonize the people on the other side (whatever side that is). We do it be treating all of our opponents as the enemy, describing them as demonic, not the “real Americans”—people who have to be eliminated.

When we regularly listen to and support people who make a lot of money telling those who are angry they should be even more angry; when our rhetoric becomes increasingly hostile and even violent—words, yes, but words dripping with animosity and violence; it’s just a matter of time before some unstable person—on the right or the left—acts out that violent rhetoric. If we thoughtlessly and recklessly spread gasoline everywhere, we shouldn’t be surprised at the results when someone lights a match.

Jesus told us those who live by the sword will die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). He also showed, in the Sermon on the Mount, that it’s not enough for us to not do the physical act. We’re responsible for the attitude of our hearts (Matthew 5:21-22 and 27-28). Scripture tells we are not to copy the behavior and customs of this world, those living in opposition to the way of Jesus. Instead, we’re to focus on him, so his Spirit will transform us through the renewing of our hearts and minds (Romans 12:2). We must reject and turn away from the hostility, animosity and enmity of so many in our culture today—including many who profess themselves to be Christians. Instead we need to love one another—especially those who would see us as enemies. This is the time for the church to show another way, the way of Jesus.

We’re gathered here tonight not as Republicans, not as Democrats, not even as Americans. We are gathered here as followers of Jesus Christ, children of God, brothers and sisters in a family that transcends any political identity, that transcends any national identity. There is one thing that unites us, and that’s the life we have in Christ—the life we have in him because he took on himself our death. Regardless of our politics or our cultural views, we are united together in his life. Communion reminds us that through his sacrifice we become one with him, and one with each other—all other believers, from all nations and political views. And we want everyone everywhere to share in this life with us. Amen?

So let’s share together this bread and this cup, remembering how Jesus took our death in order to give us his life. And that someday, because of him, because of what he did, all violence will be brought to an end, and all that will be left will be the love of God—loving relationship between us and God, and between us and each other.

Amen?