As I watched the sorrowful and horrifying news reports of the assassination of conservative political activist Charlie Kirk while he was speaking at Utah Valley University, I thought about how political violence and gun violence are driving our nation to a dangerous edge of no return. Other media outlets did a rollcall of recent shooting tragedies that included the June killings of Minnesota state Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, and the attempted murders of state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette. The school shooting at Evergreen High School in Colorado occurred less than an hour after Kirk was brutally gunned down, and we are barely two weeks removed from the Church of the Annunciation shooting in Minneapolis that killed two children. The murder of Kirk has brought about some of the most disturbing reactions on social media, with some people posting videos celebrating his death. The online vitriol is just as bad, as people are bitterly arguing about Kirk's political positions on race, equality, discrimination and freedom. The racial backlash has spilled over into threats made at historically Black colleges and universities that include the Virginia campuses of Hampton and Virginia State, Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, Southern University in Louisiana, Alabama State University, and Clark Atlanta University in Georgia. Political and racial polarization has been steadily intensifying in America, and Kirk's slaying may just be our breaking point.

I cannot imagine manifesting the type of rage that pushes a person to kill someone in cold blood. There have been very few times in my life when I have been outraged, and even in my most intense moments, I thank God that I leaned on His wisdom to walk away. The fact that we are currently witnessing such a cruel era in our politics is frightening because compromise and respect for others' viewpoints are diminishing at an alarming rate. I recently pointed this out to my English composition students when discussing the ad hominem fallacy. I explained that their generation is unfortunately observing personal attacks on people from both sides of the political aisle. I genuinely wish they could see more examples of our democracy at work with less hate-filled rhetoric.

As I've read online posts addressing Kirk's assassination, I've thought more about how my reaction should be as a Christian, which is to show empathy for him and his family, regardless of my disagreement with many of his opinions. Kirk made divisive comments about prominent African American leaders and politicians, stoking racial resentment, but as a follower of Christ, I know that I must exhibit love — more specifically, agape love. Kirk also professed to be a Christian, and I will not debate his stances and actions, as God is the ultimate judge of his life. However, it is essential to remember that God does not view us by the socially constructed categories we have used to define ourselves, which are at the center of many racial disputes. God examines the thoughts and intentions of our hearts. This is why Proverbs 4:23 instructs us to "keep (our hearts) with all diligence." In addition to guarding our hearts, Christ also instructs us in Matthew 6:22-23 to be vigilant about the light we carry so that darkness does not overtake us.

The gruesome violence that has taken place this month shows that a great darkness is hovering over our country. As we have recited many times in the Pledge of Allegiance, we are one nation under God. We need to humble ourselves before Him and pray so that healing can come to our land. I am also reminded of the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: "We are caught up in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny." We won't reach our collective destiny if political bloodshed continues.

Dr. Jessica A. Johnson is a lecturer in the English department at Ohio State University's Lima campus. Email her at [email protected]. Follow her on X: @JjSmojc. To find out more about Jessica Johnson and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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