对柯克事件的回应 Response to the Kirk incident
福音堂的家人们: 平安，
今天，我们怀着沉重与震惊的心情，来共同面对一则令人悲痛的消息——政治评论员查理·柯克（Charlie Kirk）先生于日前（9月10日）遇刺身亡。这起暴行不仅夺去了一条生命，更在这个本已充满张力的国家中，投下了一道巨大的阴影。此刻，各种情绪——哀伤、愤怒、恐惧、困惑——在我们心中翻腾，这是人之常情。作为你们的牧者，我希望能借着神永不改变的话语，引导我们如何以属天的眼光来看待此事，并在悲剧中寻得从主而来的安慰与智慧。
首先，作为一间持守圣经真理的教会， 我们旗帜鲜明地谴责一切形式的暴力与杀戮。 神在十诫中明确地颁布：「不可杀人」（出埃及记 20:13）。人的生命是神圣的，因为我们是按著神的形像所造（创世记 1:27）。无论一个人的政治立场、言论或身分为何，没有任何人有权力用暴力剥夺他人的生命。这种诉诸谋杀的行为，是彻头彻尾的罪，是与神的创造和心意完全为敌的。
因此，我们教会的立场是：
• 为受害者家属祷告： 我们为柯克先生的家人、亲友及所有爱他的人献上最深切的代祷。求主耶稣基督的恩典与怜悯亲自安慰他们，在人无法承受的伤痛中，赐下从天而来的平安。
• 为公义祷告： 我们感谢神，今天新闻报导凶嫌已经落网。我们祈求神继续掌管司法，使案情能够水落石出，让公义得以彰显。但我们的祷告不止于此，我们更求神的公义与和平能临到这片充满苦毒与撕裂的土地。
• 为国家祷告： 我们要遵从圣经的教导，「为君王和一切在位的，也该如此，使我们可以敬虔、端正、平安无事地度日。」（提摩太前书 2:2）我们为这个国家的领袖祷告，求神赐给他们智慧，能带领人民走出仇恨的漩涡，寻求和解之道。
然而，在祷告与哀悼之外，我们更需要警醒，因为在这样的时刻，仇敌撒旦最乐于见到的，就是在基督的身体——教会——内部，播下更多分裂与仇恨的种子。
我知道，柯克先生是一位极具争议性的人物。在我们教会中，必然有弟兄姊妹认同他的理念，视他为捍卫信仰价值的勇士，并为他的离世深感悲痛；也必然有弟兄姊妹完全不认同他的言行，认为他的言论加剧了社会的对立。这些不同的看法是真实存在的。但今天，我必须以牧者的身分，用从神而来的话语郑重地提醒大家： 我们绝不可让这起悲剧，成为我们在主里彼此攻击、互相妖魔化的借口。
对于那些在政治立场上支持川普或认同柯克先生理念的会众，我理解你们此刻的愤怒与不平。你们可能会有一种强烈的试探，想将所有持不同政治意见的基督徒，都标签为「妥协的」、「不属灵的」，甚至是这起悲剧的「同谋」。 我恳请你们，务要抵挡这样的试探！ 这正是这个世界分裂的逻辑，却不是基督的法则。主耶稣教导我们要「爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告」（马太福音 5:44），我们又怎能转过身来，用仇恨与苦毒对待同属一个身体的弟兄姊妹呢？将政治立场的差异，凌驾于我们在基督里的合一之上，是中了魔鬼的诡计，这会严重亏损神的荣耀，破坏教会的见证。
同样地，对于那些不认同柯克先生的会众，我们也要省察自己的内心。我们是否在这起悲剧中，心中存有一丝隐秘的快意或冷漠？我们是否忘记了，一个按著神的形象所造的灵魂逝去了？求主光照我们，除去我们心中一切的幸灾乐祸与论断。
那么，我们应当如何行？
第一，回到我们共同的元首——基督面前。 我们的身分，首先是天国的子民，是基督用宝血赎买回来的圣徒，其次才是美国公民，再次才是一切的政治归属。当我们高举基督时，就会发现那些在世人眼中看为天大的分歧，在十字架下都显得何其渺小。
第二， 操练彼此相爱的新命令。「我赐给你们一条新命令，乃是叫你们彼此相爱；我怎样爱你们，你们也要怎样相爱。你们若有彼此相爱的心，众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。」（约翰福音 13:34-35）在这个国家彼此仇视的时刻，教会更要活出彼此相爱的见证。主动去关心那些与你意见不同的弟兄姊妹，倾听他们的感受，而不是急于辩论。让世人看见，在基督里，我们拥有超越政治的爱与合一。
第三， 将盼望建立在永恒的磐石上。 政治人物会更迭，国家会兴衰，但唯有神的国度永不摇动。我们的终极盼望不在于任何政党的胜利，而在于我主耶稣基督的再来，以及祂那充满公义与和平的永恒国度。
亲爱的家人们，这是一个艰难的时刻，但也是一个考验我们信仰深度的时刻。愿我们不被世界的潮流所吞噬，而是靠着圣灵的大能，成为这黑暗时代中「使人和睦的人」（马太福音 5:9）。愿麻省华人福音堂因着我们在基督里的合一与彼此相爱，成为一个医治而非加深伤痕的所在。
若您因这事件感到挣扎或需要代祷，请随时与我或教会的牧师与长老们联系。
愿主耶稣基督的恩惠、神的慈爱、圣灵的感动，常与我们同在。
您的牧者，
陈尧健
主任牧师
麻省华人福音堂
主后 2025 年 9 月 12 日
My dear family in Christ,
I’m writing to you today with a heavy heart. I know we are all shocked and deeply saddened by the tragic news—that the political commentator Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10th. This terrible act of violence has not only taken a life but has also cast a dark shadow over our nation, which is already so full of tension.
Right now, I’m sure you’re feeling a mix of emotions—sadness, anger, fear, and confusion. That is completely understandable. As your pastor, I want to use God’s unchanging Word to help guide us on how to see this event from a heavenly perspective, and to find the comfort and wisdom that only He can give in the middle of a tragedy.
First, as a church that holds to the truth of the Bible, we clearly and strongly condemn all forms of violence and murder. God gave us a clear command: “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13). Human life is sacred because we are all made in God’s image (Genesis 1:27). It doesn’t matter what a person’s political views, words, or public status are; no one has the right to violently take another person’s life. This act of murder is a complete and total sin, and it stands against everything God created and desires.
Therefore, our church’s position is this:
• Pray for the victim’s family: We lift up our deepest prayers for Mr. Kirk’s family, friends, and all who loved him. We ask for the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ to comfort them and give them a supernatural peace in this time of unbearable pain.
• Pray for justice: We are thankful that news reports today have confirmed a suspect has been arrested. We pray that God will continue to guide our justice system, so that the truth will come to light and justice will be served. But we also pray for a deeper justice and peace to come to our land, which is so full of bitterness and division.
• Pray for our nation: We must follow the Bible’s teaching to pray “for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness” (1 Timothy 2:2). We pray for our country’s leaders, asking God to give them the wisdom to lead us out of this spiral of hatred and toward reconciliation.
However, beyond our prayers and grief, we need to be spiritually alert. In moments like this, the enemy, Satan, loves nothing more than to plant seeds of division and hatred right inside the body of Christ—the Church.
I know that Charlie Kirk was a very controversial figure. Here in our own church, I’m sure some of you agreed with his ideas and saw him as a brave defender of faith and values. You are feeling his loss deeply. I’m also sure that there are others among us who completely disagreed with his actions and words, believing he only made the division in our society worse. These different opinions are real. But today, as your pastor, I must seriously warn you with God’s Word: We must not let this tragedy become an excuse to attack or demonize each other within our church family.
To those of you who support Donald Trump or agree with Charlie Kirk’s ideas, I understand your anger and pain right now. You may be strongly tempted to label other Christians who think differently as “compromised,” “not spiritual,” or even somehow responsible for this tragedy. I am begging you, please resist that temptation! That is the logic of the world, not the way of Christ. Jesus taught us to “love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44). How, then, can we turn around and treat our own brothers and sisters in the same church with hatred and bitterness? When we place our political alignment above our unity in Christ, we fall right into the devil’s trap. It grieves God and destroys our witness to the world.
And to those of you who disagreed with Mr. Kirk, we need to search our own hearts too. In this tragedy, is there any secret satisfaction or coldness in our hearts? Have we forgotten that a soul created in God’s image is gone? Let’s ask the Lord to expose any sense of gloating or judgment in us.
So, what should we do?
First, let’s return to our true leader—Jesus Christ. Our primary identity is a citizen of heaven, a saint bought by the precious blood of Christ. Our identity as an American, and certainly any political label, comes long after that. When we lift Jesus high, we realize that the divisions that seem so huge in the world look very small at the foot of the cross.
Second, let’s practice the new command to love one another. Jesus said, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). At a time when our country is full of hate, the church must be a living example of love. Go out of your way to care for a brother or sister you disagree with. Listen to their feelings instead of trying to win an argument. Let the world see that in Christ, we have a love that is bigger than politics.
Third, put your hope on the Eternal Rock. Politicians come and go, nations rise and fall, but only God’s Kingdom will last forever. Our ultimate hope is not in the victory of any political party, but in the return of our Lord Jesus Christ and His eternal kingdom of justice and peace.
Brothers and sisters, this is a hard time, but it is also a time that tests the depth of our faith. Let’s not get swept away by the currents of this world. Instead, by the power of the Holy Spirit, let’s be people who “make peace” (Matthew 5:9) in this dark age. May our church, CGCM, be a place of healing, not a place that makes the wounds deeper, because of our unity and love in Christ.
If you are struggling with this news and need prayer, please don’t hesitate to contact me or any of the church pastors or elders.
May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Your Pastor,
Yaochien Chen
Senior Pastor
Chinese Gospel Church of Massachusetts
September 12, 2025
Dongjun Jiao September 12th, 2025
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