Responding to violence and death: A lament and prayer
The following is a message I read during worship services at DSBC on September 14, 2025. Some of this content was inspired by Ben Marsh’s thoughtful remarks. I am grateful for his leadership in pastoral care.
You can find the recording here.
-Pastor Caleb
Many of us have been shaken by the recent news.
The stabbing of a Ukrainian refugee aboard a North Carolina commuter train, Iryna Zarutska.
The 16-year-old who shot two students at Evergreen High School in Colorado before turning the gun on himself.
The murder of Charlie Kirk at a college in Utah.
And all of this comes in the shadow of the 24th anniversary of September 11, 2001—a day marked by terror and death. These events stir up deep emotions and concerns within our community.
As people who follow the way of Jesus, I invite us to consider how his teaching and example might guide us in the days ahead.
These times are not unprecedented. Many recall the assassinations of JFK, King, and RFK, the attempt on Reagan, the hundreds of school shootings in the last century, and the violence experienced firsthand by members of our own congregation.
In my ten years as lead pastor, I have led us in reflection and prayer related to violence more than twenty-five times. Violence has long haunted our nation, and these recent acts remind us again of its destructive grip.
So we lament—the pain, the loss, the death, the destruction. From the first pages of Scripture, we see how turning from God bends the human heart toward violence. Cain, consumed by the desire for power, murdered his brother despite God’s warning: “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” That cycle has echoed through history.
Jesus offers another way. He invites us to live by the values of his Kingdom on earth as it is in heaven. In light of these events, we are called to:
1. Commit ourselves to the way of Peace.
Human kingdoms rise and fall, but the Kingdom of Heaven endures. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” Violent rhetoric fuels violent action, so let our words be seasoned with peace.
2. Fix our minds and hearts on the Kingdom of God.
Our citizenship is in heaven. Our partisan commitments are always secondary to our identity in Christ. Jesus has no political party and no rivals for his throne. Our allegiance belongs to him alone.
3. Recommit ourselves to sharing the good news.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is our only hope—in this life and the next. No politician or policy can satisfy eternal needs. Christ alone is Savior, Judge, and Sustainer, the one who holds all things together.
The early Church knew political violence. They saw kings assassinated, empires rise and fall, parties come and go. Yet for two thousand years, they bore witness to Jesus as Savior, King, and Hope. May we do the same.
As we move forward, may we speak his name above all others and cast our cares on him, for he cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). May we reaffirm that all people are made in God’s image, and that he alone gives and takes life.
While violence will not vanish from America overnight, we can call our leaders, media, and neighbors away from leveraging fear and rage, and instead toward peace, justice, and truth.
And may we resist that same crouching beast that Cain faced, remembering God’s words: “If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.”
In Christ, sin and death are conquered. Let us live in that truth, standing firm in the unshakable hope of Jesus Christ. May his peace and justice reign in our hearts, our community, and our world.
So today we pray:
For grieving families, that they may know the nearness and comfort of Jesus.
For law enforcement, that they may be protected, wise, and righteous in their work.
For our justice system, that every proceeding reflects integrity and godly justice.
For our country, that we resist hatred, seek the good of one another, and become peacemakers.
For our own hearts, that they not grow cold or calloused, but be filled with the love of Christ.
In loss, pain, and grief, we entrust ourselves to the compassionate hand of God, who grieves with us and promises never to leave or forsake us.
Amen.