Author Archives: lee

Erika Kirk forgave the man who assassinated her husband, a thought I’ve wrestled with, and continue to wrestle with.

I shared my thoughts with my wife last night, she felt I might be inviting controversy. Maybe so. So here I am, adding this brief note this morning: These are my thoughts, and this is where I am right now. I may be wrong, but it’s my journey. And I don’t walk it alone.

Starting with Jesus’ words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34, and the Lord’s Prayer, which teaches us to forgive our trespassers, tells us that Jesus forgives for the purpose of salvation. Erika, on the other hand, forgave without absolving the offender, which she really couldn’t do, but for the sake of self-healing. And no doubt she offered forgiveness because it’s part of her faith.

What Erika did was extraordinary, but it doesn’t set a standard that everyone must meet, or at least not meet quickly. I believe God understands my struggle, especially because I can acknowledge it. And because of that, I trust He’s walking with me through it. For some, the journey will be short. For others, it will be long. But He won’t abandon us in the quest.

So, knowing God doesn’t demand perfection, He offers partnership, is the first step. We know this from Jonah. Jonah knew God would extend mercy to his enemies, even though Jonah himself didn’t want them to have it. As in the poem “Footprints,” God remains with us at all times, even through our anger, grief, confusion, and resistance. I love that poem, by the way.

Forgiveness isn’t about forgetting or excusing; it’s about finding peace. And that peace is something God promises us. I see what Erika did. I admire it. I’m not there yet. But I believe God is walking with me, and for now, that’s enough.

The Heritage Foundation unveiled a massive banner on the front of its headquarters in honor of Charlie Kirk.

These are the words the Left sought to silence by the assassination of Charlie Kirk. His life was cut short, but these words should inspire all of us moving forward. Life is about faith, family, country, freedom, and truth. All of it leads to liberty.

The rhetoric of the Left shows it to be an ideology that hates these values and will hate this banner by continuing to take his words out of context and use outright lies. Failing to tarnish his memory with misrepresentations and lies, the Left will continue violence and threats of violence to silence with bullets what it cannot silence with words.

We must carry his torch forward as we owe it to future generations.

I was thinking about Charlie Kirk, 31 years old. Here one day, gone the next. That could be any of us. Some leave a legacy; maybe others do not in the same way, but we all leave something behind, big or small. In truth, we all will. The only difference is the scope, and that will depend on how many lives we touch.

Of course, eternal life factors in, and that is what matters most. Kirk talked about it. He seemed more focused on his eternal life, even though he will leave a lasting legacy. In truth, we all will.”

We recognize that life is short and uncertain. Instead of boasting about future plans, we are called to say, “If the Lord wills…”

Verse 15 shifts the focus from human planning and legacy to the divine. Earthly legacy is what people remember; eternal legacy is what God remembers. Our legacy should be shaped by God’s will, not our own.

Summed up: life is fleeting but eternal.

#WeAreCharlie #WeAreAllCharlieKirk #IrynaZarutska

“The media can’t wash their hands of this. Every time they pump division and scream racism, they stir hate and create the environment where things like this happen.†Khloé Kardashian

Unbelievable! There are massive prayer vigils in cities, with more tomorrow, for Charlie Kirk. It’s not in just this country; it’s happening around the world. Those thinking truth could be stopped with a bullet were wrong. It made the voice of Charlie louder, and stronger.

Support has been coming from many places and people you may not expect. The nest I’ve seen is from Khloé Kardashian. She used her platform on social media to call out some Americans’ callousness toward the assassination of conservative Charlie Kirk, and “liked†a post that ripped the media for its role in ginning up hate that contributed to Kirk’s murder. (I’ll come back to this)

On her Instagram account, which has more than 300 million followers, Kardashian shared the following post on her stories.

“I don’t even know where to start,†the post reads. “Something is deeply wrong, and we all feel it, even if we don’t say it out loud. We’re watching people get murdered in public and no one even flinches.â€

“A woman is stabbed to death on a bus. A man is killed in front of a crowd,†it continues, referencing the murder of Ukrainian Refugee Iryna Zarutska and the assassination of Kirk.

One of those dates that remain indelibly etched in the minds of many, for how long, is another story. If you’re old enough to remember the horrors of September 11, you know where you were when it happened. I was watching cable television as it unfolded live before me.

I read an article once that young people in school were not alive when our nation came under attack. To me, it seems like it wasn’t all that long ago. Being 24 years now, those graduating from college were not yet born, and those in high school now would be so young as to have no accurate recollection.

Another reality, of course, is what is being taught in schools now. There is a tendency to sanitize so all will feel good, and when a member of Congress says, “Some people did something” that day, that’s even scarier than schools failing to teach so the feelings of others suffer no discomfort. I think feelings should not be spared when teaching the truth. The perpetrators were not just “some people.” They were, in fact, particular people.

It was not articulated by a member of Congress and is nameless here because I refuse to acknowledge her, saying, “Some people did something;” It’s important to remember the sacrifices made by many that day and in the times after.

So, gently remind others why this date is so important, especially if you run into someone too young to remember or not yet born. Indeed, it was the Pearl Harbor of our time, and while I’m way too young to remember December 7, 1941, I know about the day and what happened afterward. We need to remember September 11, 2001, in the same way. Both days should be “a date which will live in infamy.”

Remember, too, the first and last stanza of a poem by Alan W. Jankowski entitled We Shall Never Forget:

“Let the world always remember,

That fateful day in September,

And the ones who answered duty’s call,

Should be remembered by us all.

“And never forget the ones no longer here,

Who fought for the freedoms we all hold dear,

And may their memory never wane,

Lest their sacrifices be in vain.”

September 11 is known as Patriots Day. You’re asked to observe a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. when the first plane was turned into a flying torpedo and bombed the World Trade Center. This led to 2,977 innocent Americans murdered and more than 6,000 injured. That’s more American casualties than on D-Day in World War II and more than four times the number of casualties at Pearl Harbor. It was a horrific day, but America responded.

It’s not just about the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, or a little field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania (a truly remarkable account of the American spirit that everyone should learn about); it’s about the United States of America. As the poem states, don’t let their sacrifices be in vain by being one who will ALWAYS REMEMBER!

May God Bless America