On 10 September 2025, while speaking at Utah Valley University, Charlie Kirk was shot and later died. The fact is plain enough for sober men and women to read: when the truth pricks the conscience of an age, the first instinct of that age is not repentance, but removal. Sometimes it is by a bullet. More often it is by the quieter methods of pressure, exclusion, and rules written to keep Christian conviction out of sight.
We see this drift at home, in UK. Parliament has brought in 150-metre “safe access zones” around abortion facilities in England and Wales, criminalising attempts to “influence” decisions, with debate continuing over whether even silent prayer falls foul of the law. Street preaching has too often been met with handcuffs first and apologies later; one Scottish pastor secured compensation after a wrongful arrest while proclaiming Christ in public. Universities speak endlessly of inclusivity, yet the regulator recently fined a university for failing to uphold freedom of speech in a case that produced a chilling effect across campus life. When the watchmen must fine the gatekeepers in order to keep the gate open, you know the climate is cold indeed.
This is not new. The world has never loved the truth that exposes it. Most people will tolerate truth only when it agrees with them. The Bible makes it clear that the natural heart dislikes the doctrines of Scripture and will oppose those who preach them. Scripture says it best: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.” (1 John 3:13) Our Lord told us beforehand, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own… but because ye are not of the world… the world hateth you.” (John 15:19)
What then must Christians do in such an hour?
Hold fast and speak plainly. Paul stood in Athens and declared the unknown God. We must preach Christ, in the open air and in the public square, and instruct our children in the whole counsel of God rather than surrender them to ungodly catechisms and indoctrinations of the System. “Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.” (1 Corinthians 16:13)
Defend lawful liberty for Christian witness. Use every righteous, legal means to keep doors open for preaching, teaching, and conscience. Challenge unjust exclusions; support those who are silenced; insist that the public space remains truly public. Even in a hostile climate, laws and regulators sometimes acknowledge overreach, which proves the ground is worth contesting.
Pray earnestly and labour faithfully. Prayer is not retreat but advance. Pray for courage, clarity, and compassion. Preach the gospel, plant churches, publish truth, disciple the young, and refuse bitterness. “We ought to obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)
The news about Mr Kirk has been grievous. May the Lord comfort his wife and children. We pray for them.
Yet Christians must not lose heart. Christ is still King. The devil and the world would have the truth silenced, but “the word of God is not bound.” (2 Timothy 2:9) You may slay the messenger; you cannot bury the message. In the kingdom of this world, the blood of martyrs has ever been the seed of the Church.
Let us therefore repent of our cowardice, reject the opiate of respectability, and take our stand. Speak the truth. Bear the cost. Love our enemies. And believe that the Lord who reigns will use faithful witness to awaken a sleeping nation.