The original “shot heard round the world” was a phrase that referred to the opening shot of the battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, which sparked the American Revolutionary War and led to the creation of the United States. It originates from the opening stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s 1837 poem “Concord Hymn”.
Emerson’s words, “Here once the embattled farmers stood, and fired the shot heard round the world,” honored the colonists’ stand for democracy and the worldwide impact of the new nation.
The new “SHOT” refers to the one that assassinated Charlie Kirk, and started a wave of change through every nation. A change that could have been anticipated or expected. Just as the first “shot around the world,” this shot did almost the same thing but on a massive worldwide scale. This one caused a resurgence of God, Family and Country, not dissimilar to the first shot.
Normally, I am not a political talker, pusher or commentor, but now I am rethinking that concept because of Charlie. He helped me understand that you can have a political conversation and not an argument. Also, we need to always find the politicians who want to advance the country with God, family and democracy.
Charlie Kirk was a devout Christian and political leader for the youth of our country, and has a tremendous following of college aged youth, and even middle and old people; myself included.
I watched several of his videos of the debates he had with college youth and found him to be very courteous and compassionate to the person who he was speaking to, even though some were nasty and not nice. He gave them an opportunity to speak and told them his opposing view. Then he would ask questions and the debate would continue.
He knew how to speak to youth, and always allowed the person to tell their views whether they fell in line with his beliefs or not. He was a caring and understanding person even during the times of being called names by the other speaker. He gave them the chance to explain their non-agreement and at times anger.
To my surprise, he seemed to have a lot of information in his head that he could access during any conversation. I heard him once speaking about government to someone who was criticizing how the current one is being run. He very calmly and eloquently explained what the other person, being a college student, should have known about government.
However, with the truth comes the lies. He told the truth and the political right did not want to hear it, so they called him all kinds of names and said nasty things about him. And these are political leaders telling people to create chaos and unrest because they don’t want things to get better. Don’t take it from me. Just look them up and listen to their ranting and raving away from scripture and God.
Another debate was about how the Bible was not involved in politics or political situations. Charlie, quickly, explained how much the Bible actually referenced politics and tells us we need to be more involved. That even surprised me, and you can see my research below that confirms his comments.
I am learning more about Charlie from the news stories and people closest to him on social media. For me, I liked listening to his debates, and always wondered about the outcome. Of course, when I heard the news, I was, at first confused. Was the story real or as with many fakes? When I heard it was true I realized Charlie must have had a much bigger impact then I knew.
When I heard the news about the assassination of Charlie, I thought it was fake news at first. Until I saw it on the TV news. I was stunned as most people, and could not understand why anyone would want to harm him. I was pissed off and angry at first. After I calmed, I realized he was removed because the left didn’t like what he stood for. This is not the first time someone was assassination because the powers that be didn’t like what they said or how they said it.
Was came next, was a total surprise to me! The outcome from his assassination! The world seemed to wake up from its long Christian and political sleep. I was expecting trouble and riots, but they never materialized. Why? Because of what Charlie stood for… God, family and country. No riots, just very peaceful and very large gathering everywhere around the world. I had no idea his presence reached that far.
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love.
Ephesians 3:16-17
I felt overwhelmed with the knowledge that he changed hundreds, if not thousands of lives. Young and old. I now pray that his work is passed and carried on by the youth he worked with and those he helped. The world needs his legacy to bring many more to God, and help straighten out this broken and divided world.
Biblical Political References:
The Bible references politics extensively, addressing the role of government, the responsibilities of rulers and citizens, and the relationship between divine and human authority. The nature of this relationship, however, changes significantly between the Old and New Testaments.
The Old Testament: Israel as a Theocracy
In the Old Testament, the nation of Israel was a theocracy, where the government and religion were deeply intertwined. A system of divine rule: When the people demanded an earthly king “like all the nations,” God expressed his displeasure but eventually allowed it, warning that human rulers would often have selfish motives (1 Samuel 8:5–9).
Political figures: Many biblical figures were both religious and political leaders, including Moses, the judges, and the kings of Israel and Judah (Saul, David, and Solomon).
The prophets’ political role: Prophets often acted as political commentators, confronting kings for their injustices and their failure to follow God’s law (e.g., Nathan rebuking King David).
The New Testament: A new covenant
The New Testament introduces a distinction between the earthly realm and the “Kingdom of God,” changing the framework for believers’ political engagement.
“Render to Caesar”: In perhaps the most famous political exchange, Jesus instructed his followers to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). This establishes a distinction between civil and divine obligations, though it does not completely separate the two.
Submission to authority: The Apostle Paul, in Romans 13:1–7, instructs Christians to be “subject to the governing authorities,” stating that all authority is established by God. The text describes governing officials as “God’s servants” for the purpose of punishing wrongdoing and commending those who do right.
The ultimate authority: Jesus’ conversation with Pontius Pilate also clarifies the hierarchy of power. When Pilate asserts his authority, Jesus replies, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above” (John 19:11).
Limitations on Governmental Authority
The Bible also provides guidance for when human authority conflicts with divine commands.
Obey God, not man: The apostles explicitly prioritized obedience to God over human government, stating, “We must obey God rather than men” when they were ordered to stop preaching (Acts 5:29).
Civil disobedience: The Old Testament provides examples of principled civil disobedience, such as the Hebrew midwives’ refusal to kill male Israelite babies at the pharaoh’s command (Exodus 1).
The Biblical Purpose of Government
According to scripture, the purpose of government includes providing justice, protection, and order.
Upholding justice: The Bible frequently emphasizes the need for righteous rule and justice, warning against corrupt leaders who oppress the poor or accept bribes (Proverbs 29:2, Deuteronomy 16:19–20).
Promoting peace: Christians are urged to live peaceful lives and pray for their leaders, with the understanding that God uses government for the common good (1 Timothy 2:1–2).
“My final thoughts: Perhaps if we all think and act like Charlie Kirk the world will become a better place. As Christians we know he is with our Lord and Savior but we also need to pray for his wife and children everyday.” H John
H John & Jean
Our Divided World Ministry
john@ourdividedworld.com
jean@ourdividedworld.com
https://ourdividedworld.com
Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
Philippians 4:9