It's not elbows, it's...

In the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination, we reflect on the importance of friendships and dialogue in our faith. As believers, we are called to love all, regardless of political affiliations.

Transcript

So, who are your friends? I've been very blessed throughout my life to have lots of friends. And I got friends all over the country. I have friends on Parliament Hill. I have pastor friends. I have neighbor friends. Got all kinds of friends. I don't have a lot of really close friends. I have a few. And I've actually said, I remember saying to my eldest son one time, if you get one best friend, you were really blessed. So, who are your friends? It's interesting. I reason why I bring this up is because it's my heart is still heavy about the Charlie Kirk assassination. And in fact, I've heard many many comments about, "Oh, I don't know should you if you should be even talking about

this because Charlie was friends with a certain president and maybe you shouldn't be talking to him about that or talking to us about that." And so, it's really really interesting this season, although I'm not afraid to talk about anything and I have a lot of great friends, right? But it was really interesting to hear what the perception is about Charlie Kirk's assassination is uh for us it hit us really hard. Um not that we really track with him very very much but number one he was a brother in Christ and he was not ashamed to preach the gospel. So where he stood on the political spectrum is irrelevant. Like if he was a Democrat and this happened, I think I still would be mourning. If he

was if this was Canada and he was a part of another unfavor political party, I would still be in distress because what happened was really diabolical. Who are your friends and who do you walk with? It's interesting that even the religious people of the day when Jesus was walking the earth, they would confront him on who his friends were. They said, "Look at that guy." In in Luke chapter 7, they would say, "Look at him. He eats and he drinks and he hangs out with tax collectors. He's a clutton and he's a drunkard. That's what they thought. But meanwhile, Jesus was right there in the place where people were broken and hurting. Yet the religious people of the day said, "Look at him."

So I hope that none of us are saying, "Look at that Charlie." Well, he does this and he said that and he said this, but he still was a brother. And it's very very important that we carry it carry this in a particular way. You know many people uh like I said they say well he if he were with Trump why didn't he say these things because we don't like what he's saying so he surely he could have said those things. Well we don't know what he said to Trump in privately. And in the same way you don't know the things that I say to the members of parliament that I walk with. You don't know. Many people think that I should only be talking to one particular side, but in reality, I want to be friends

with them all because friends influence friends and I want to be friends with them all. That's 343 friends. That's a lot. But I still want to be friends with them all. You know, it took me four years to have a conversation with Prime Minister Trudeau and it was meaningful and it was actually touched his heart. And this time around, I've asked the Lord, Lord, instead of it taking four years to have an encounter with this current prime minister, Prime Minister Carney, Lord, could I have that encounter in four months? So, what about you? Who are you friends with? Are you with friends with unsavory law? You know, James says it's important that we aren't do not make friendship

with the world because they are at enmity with God. And I agree with that. I am not becoming friends with the ways of the world. In fact, the Bible says, "Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may walk in them." So, that's where my friendship really lies. But as far as being able to bring the gospel, we should be bringing the gospel everywhere. In the same way in the shama where Jesus where the Lord says, "You will love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind." And Jesus said, "With all your strength, and to love your neighbors as yourself." Not just your friendly neighbors, not just the neighbors that align with you politically or phil philosophically.

But Jesus requires us to reach out and be friends. Not to embrace their life, but embrace their hearts. One thing that I appreciate most about Charlie Kirk was his ability to have a dialogue. He welcomed debate. He welcomed dialogue because when we he would say this when we stop talking this leads to violence. When we stop communicating to each other it leads to violence. When spouses stop speaking it leads to divorce. When nations stop speaking it leads to war. This is the importance of dialogue. And this is why we should not be afraid to engage and to speak and to care and and and not live in the world of rhetoric. Elbows up. That's rhetoric. It's not

about elbows, but it's about knees. It's about our prayer lives. And it's about what we get in that place of prayer prayer and bring it out into the world. It's our prayer life that fuel what comes out of our mouths. I'm Chris Bert, the director of the National House of Prayer, and we will see you next time. Bye for now. [Music]