When the World Can’t Win the Argument
Comfort for the righteous and a warning to the wicked.
Then I saw the wicked buried. They used to go in and out of the holy place and were praised in the city where they had done such things. This also is vanity. Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God, because they fear before him. But it will not be well with the wicked, neither will he prolong his days like a shadow, because he does not fear before God.
-Ecclesiastes 8:10–13
Today, we witnessed a man murdered in broad daylight for exercising his freedom of speech on a college campus. Charlie Kirk—a leading figure in the conservative political world—was shot and killed while speaking at a Turning Point USA conference in Utah.
What should have been recognized as a bipartisan act of violence quickly became yet another reminder of how fractured our country’s moral compass has become.
On one side, the natural response: prayers and condolences for a faithful man who leaves behind a wife and two children. On the other, rhetoric that has become nearly synonymous with the left: “He had it coming.”
That mindset reveals something deeper than politics. It exposes a spiritual rot—the belief that certain evils can be justified if they align with our frustrations or grievances. We’ve seen it before: in the Luigi Mangione case, where outrage at the healthcare system turned a murderer into an overnight sensation for progressives; in the manifestos of transgender school shooters who claimed oppression by traditional Christian values; and even in the twisted commentary that followed assassination attempts on the president.
Charlie Kirk’s faith-based conservatism was no exception to this hatred. He invited debate, discussion, and a free exchange of ideas—even when it was uncomfortable. He believed that honest dialogue humanizes opponents and helps us grow as a nation. But like a child flipping the table after losing his favorite game, the world could not defeat his ideas—so it resorted to violence.
And yet, Ecclesiastes 8 reminds us of a sobering truth: earthly justice is often delayed, distorted, or denied. The wicked may appear to prosper while the righteous suffer.
But what separates the righteous from the wicked is this: even in their affliction, the righteous will not repay evil with evil. Justice belongs to the Lord. That truth should humble those who justify violence in the name of ideology—and comfort those who endure it, knowing that vindication and salvation come from Him.