This week’s Truth Speakers for Truth Seekers column is about the need to stand up for truth and what is right, as Charlie Kirk did, and be the light, salt and solution.
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“No one has greater love than to give up his own life for his friends.”
What a powerful statement! If you are not familiar with this saying and who said it and when, let me enlighten you.
It was delivered by Jesus Christ of Nazareth about 2000 years ago in a discourse or sermon. He did for His 12 disciples in a little room called the Upper room. Jerusalem was the place where it was held. He spoke it during the Last Supper (meaning the last meal, also known as Passover meal). This meal He had with His disciples before his death (y crucifixion) the next day.
It is also called the “farewell discourse” where Jesus gives His last instructions and encouragement.
The final part of the sermon takes place as they are walking from the city to the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus uses imagery like the true vine and branches to teach the disciples to cling to the Words He had been teaching them over the 3-4 years previously and thereby cling to Him as a vine does to its branches.
He knew the disciples would face the biggest challenge in their lives that following day. When they would encounter that, He taught them how to pass this test and Who would be the One helping them once He was gone from this earth. (The same one who is still helping us- his followers – now, in this present age- The Holy Spirit). Most failed the test the next day because they all fled as He was captured. Judas betrayed Him and turned Him in although he knew He was innocent. Judas took his own life after he realised the grave error he had made. Another one- Peter- denied Him and went back to his fishing business, feeling great remorse that he had betrayed the One who gave up His life for him. The rest fled the scene as well but then starting following from a great distance, while Jesus was led away by a band of Roman soldiers to face an unjust trial. The outcome of the trial was death by crucifixion after a Roman beating of more than 40 cruel lashes on His back which killed most who had to endure that. It did not kill Jesus but made Him extremely weak to where He could barely walk and carry the cross on which He was to be crucified- through Jerusalem. A man called Simon the Cyrene was told to carry it for Him. He was still able to climb up the hill of Golgotha where He was crucified.
The disciples eventually turned around and became a powerful team of faithful followers who ultimately had to lay down their own life like Jesus had done. They joyfully did so, finding it an honour to suffer persecution and death for the One who gave His life for them.
In today’s society, true love seemed to have lost its meaning. The definition of sacrificial love--the love Jesus showed during His life and His disciples showed the world after Him--has been replaced by lust, “I”, myself and me, “love me”. There is little of “how can I serve you?”, “how can I make life better for you today?”, “What can I do for you today to make a difference?” Instead, it has come to the extent of: “address me correctly (they instead of he or she) or else.”
If God equals love, then what does that look like? Is it available for just a few? How can we get access to it? What would be the purpose of it?
Amidst all the big news besides the wars, political debates, economic upheavals and more, one event stood out and is getting more and more known around the world. Whether you agree with Charlie Kirk or not, if we look at the heart of such a man, to me, he is a hero, a martyr. Willing to lay down his life for friends and family, portraying the true kind of sacrificial love of God and Charlie’s own Hero, Jesus Christ. He literally laid down his life for those he had wanted to set free. But those same people refused that freedom and instead schemed and succeeded to murder him right in front of their” friends” and many others.
Dear Charlie did have to face the “giants”, the hate speakers on a probably more than once a week basis, because they could not swallow truth. He said: “I am going to the universities and colleges to speak, so you do not have to”. Why did they murder Charlie? Because they felt threatened in their agenda of hate speech against the truth Charlie spoke, which resulted in a sinister plan that seem to have been orchestrated by people, who wanted him out of the way. It reminds me of how the Jews, Pharisees, Sadducees and associates banded together 2000 years ago, to get Jesus out of the way. And seemingly succeeded by crucifying Him. But instead, it resulted in an ever-growing movement of doing and following exactly what He said and did. This movement will not stop till God’s plan is succeeded and Jesus mission through us is fulfilled. Because, whether you want to agree; believe it or not, this same Jesus rose from the dead three days after He was crucified and is still alive today. Where? In the lives and hearts of those who have chosen to wholeheartedly follow Him. It gave Charlie the courage to stand up amidst his enemies and tell the truth. Not hoping to win an argument but hoping people would turn to the only One that could save them from eternal death, even if it would cost him his own. And it did. But now Charlie’s death is resulting in a truth revolution around the world that is unstoppable.
So this time, I would like to encourage you to stand up for truth and what is right. It will take courage and God’s kind of love for those who might scream at you or worse. But that is what we need in today’s world. Charlie is gone. It is our turn now. Who will take his placed to speak up? Who will be the ones standing up and fighting for truth, morality and defending those that cannot speak for themselves; teaching them how to grow up in an ever-growing hostile environment towards what is light, truth and real sacrificial love; being proud to be called a true follower of Jesus Christ; a people being light and salt and not backing down; bringing light where others tried to bring darkness- will you rise up?
Be His sweet Aroma to a world crying out for true sacrificial love!
Your Challenge this week!
When there is darkness, all of us long for light. When things look bleak, we wait for others to bring the solution. When hatred is spewed out, we look to others to speak words of hope to a hurting soul. Turn it around. BE the light, BE salt, Speak that word of hope. BE the solution. All of us can be someone to shine God’s light and glory into another person’s life. It is just us deciding, that when we come on the scene, light will come with it as we make it shine. Hope returns, solutions are brought in because we choose to be the one!
Thank you for helping to do just that and walking with those who walk the Aroma of Christ journey according to 2 Corinthians 2:15
Be the aroma.
Blessings
Akhrienuo