For years, I hid my political leaning in my writings, my social circles and my every day life. It was the elephant in the room, in more ways than one.
I was the epitome of a silent majority member of the MAGA movement. Believing that challenging anyone when confronted with a political conversation was rude or uncouth. I was taught that discussions of politics and religion were best left unsaid. Looking back, I believe this courtesy, extended by many of us, was intentionally exploited by many others. We already had a propensity for silence, and throw in a couple “racist!”, “homophobe!”, “xenophobe!” And we practically went underground.
I am a Conservative and I am a Christian and I will neither apologize nor ever again shrink in silence from some imaginary shame being cast upon me from others, for those adjectives. I am who I am, leave it or take it but at the same time, come as you are. I have, unfortunately, had many friends and family that have chosen the door. Some made an Irish exit, some typed names into a comment section before severing ties. I would lie if I didn’t say it was hurtful. It was physical proof of the fear we all felt in speaking out, but with age comes wisdom and I have learned their absence says more about their character than it does mine. Some of us shrank further, some of us dug deeper. I fall into the latter category. Once I stood up, I was never sitting back down. I am stubborn that way. It’s a blessing and a curse, just ask my husband.
The gift of Charlie Kirk was his ability to stand up before anyone else did. An 18 year-old armed with nothing but his Faith and a pop-up tent. It is a rather extraordinary story and his confidence is one I did not hold until I was much older, a confidence I spend everyday trying to instill in my children. Speaking out is easy when the numbers are on your side, the true test of one’s character is an ability to stand alone and it is people like Charlie Kirk that carried that burden to clear a path for all of us. It often takes just one person and his courage became our courage. He led by example and showed us how to have open conversations filled to the rim with substance and rooted in fact, logic and most importantly, Grace. We found the strength to not only speak up but have confidence in our convictions, whether that be politics or Faith. We learned to let those go that refused to listen when we spoke, but still offered them a path to find us again one day.
I imagine it seemed almost an impossible task in the beginning. How do you reach your people knowing the opponent controls almost every facet of information gathering, from TV to Social Media, school systems to Congress… We weren’t an easy group to reach. We were splintered and huddling silently in refuge as we watched our values being pushed out of every inch of society.
An impossible task that was imagined with a desk, a chair and a willingness to listen to anyone but a promise to always speak in truth, even when truth was unpopular. It is a service many may not realize the full consequence of for years to come.
I agreed a lot with Charlie Kirk, but there is one word we disagreed upon — empathy. He felt it was a new age term and preferred the term sympathy.
I prefer them both, personally, but I truly believe a lack of empathy is one of the many pivotal pieces greatly contributing to the current state of our society. The ability to stand in another’s shoes is what will always spark us to treat others as we wish to be treated. To use our hands to hold the hands of those in need, or to protect those in harms way, rather than serve as a human tripod to film or to simply hit share on a social media post. Sympathy allows us to sit beside a person, empathy is what allows us to sit inside a person to gain a true understanding.
Sympathy tells me we have lost a brilliant mind and a courageous voice. One that changed the world for the better and left a template for all to follow. A template built upon kindness, Grace, listening, Faith and truth.
Empathy tells me that in those final seconds, political maneuvering is not what flashed before Charlie Kirk’s eyes, it was his wife and children. I imagine when any one of us leaves this world, our first thought will be for our family. We can sit beside change but we must always sit inside humanity.
Because at the end of the day, we are all human and empathy should never come in shades of red or blue.
You will never regret being kind, no matter who that kindness is extended to.
“For though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes”
Proverbs 24:16
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