In the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination, there’s been a massive surge of his followers who have a newfound curiosity in what he was most passionate about — his faith in Jesus Christ.
But I’ve been dismayed that at such a pivotal moment, with so many searching for answers, there are a multitude of Christian Pharisees online running them off with their pious attitudes.
In one such case, a young woman on X started posting her “Jesus-curious” journey. She enjoyed visiting a church for the first time in years and decided to purchase her first Bible. Innocently enough, she shared a photo of her new Bible, not realizing that people claiming to be Christians would pounce and dig their religious claws into her.
As I read the responses to her posts, I was repulsed by these people. They immediately started telling her the Bible version she purchased was wrong. I couldn’t believe that instead of encouraging her to seek Jesus, they were criticizing her choice of Bible translation. They were shaming her so vehemently, she regretted ever sharing her journey. There was no walking in wisdom or speaking gracefully as the apostle Paul instructs us in Colossians 4:6; only condemnation and judgment.
It spawned a righteous indignation in me like I haven’t felt in a long time, and I wanted to crack the whip and flip tables like Jesus did when He cleared the Temple. I was outraged by the nastiness I was witnessing. After the initial assault on this woman, a second attack came as she described how different congregations treated her when she visited.
The Christian bullies let her know that she must be the problem and wasn’t ready for church attendance. Nothing says brotherly love like blame shifting and gaslighting an innocent victim. This is truly some of the most shameful behavior I’ve ever seen amongst Christians, and sadly, it is permeating churches and online Christian communities alike. How is it that we see the ugly and destructive nature of the Pride movement, but we fail to see the pride within the Body of Christ that is just as disgusting to God?
Religious pride is the worst type of pride because it tarnishes how the outside world views Jesus. We are supposed to be Christ’s ambassadors, but when we are puffed up and self-righteous, we fail miserably.
These online Christian bullies are no different than the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked regularly. Do they not know that Jesus said in Matthew 12:30 that if we aren’t gathering with Him, we are scattering abroad?
I wonder who these whitewashed tombs think Jesus is talking to when He says in Matthew 7:21-23 that many are going to do works in His name, but He is going to tell them to depart from Him because He doesn’t know them.
He certainly isn’t talking to a woman whose heart is being tugged at by the Holy Spirit; Jesus is calling her to follow Him. He’s knocking on the door of her heart, and she’s slowly opening it.
In that passage, Jesus is talking to them, the religious, self-righteous, Sunday morning pew warmers that are repelling her by their lack of love and grace. Those condemning her for not buying the correct Bible. Those telling her that her behavior isn’t quite ready for church. He’s talking to the hypocrites that worship Him with their lips, but their hearts are far from Him, just as the prophet Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 29:13.
How are we, the Body of Christ, going to gather with Jesus when we are so preoccupied with being right about our theological and doctrinal beliefs, that we have no room for grace and mercy, let alone kindness and empathy for non-believers?
I’ll tell you how, we need to start rebuking Christian Pharisees like Jesus did and stop turning a blind eye to their bad behavior. Then, we must live by the example that Jesus gave us, living with humility and loving others.
That’s what Charlie Kirk exemplified, and that’s why he was so effective and had the following he did.
When we are walking with Jesus, we are walking in love. When we are following Jesus’s example and loving like Him, we aren’t condemning people for not buying the correct Bible. We are encouraging them, discipling them, praying for them to gain understanding. We do it with grace, seasoned with salt.
Stop repelling outsiders with legalistic, man-made rules and regulations that have nothing to do with having a relationship with Jesus.
It will be inexcusably tragic if those spiritually curious outsiders who were inspired by what they saw in Charlie Kirk turn away from God because smug professing Christians repel them with their arrogance and high-mindedness.
We must be better.
Stacy Popish is a lifelong believer in Jesus Christ, with a passion to lead as many to Him as possible. Her early plans to be a journalist, after being the opinion editor of her high school newspaper, were changed when she became a wife and mother at the age of 19. She spent many years as a stay-at-home mother of 4, and later joined the work force, enjoying a career in insurance. She is blessed to be a wife to John, the mother of 4 adult children, and the grandmother of 4 precious grandchildren. She loves to encourage, uplift and speak the truth of God’s Word to her family, friends, clients and her 4k followers on X.
