How Can We Make Sense of the Senseless? (Podcast interview at end)

Consider two September days, separated by twenty-four years. September 11, 2001 (9/11) with the loss of some 3000 people. Then, the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, 2025.

Charlie wanted to be remembered first for his faith in Jesus Christ.  On this foundation he built his life as well as his work as a conservative influencer, founding Turning Point USA at the age of 18. Lethally shot, Charlie (a mere 31) left a beautiful wife and two little ones, the ages of my youngest grandchildren. His life’s race is completed.

I have heard people refer to these tragedies as senseless. I think they mean they are acts of injustice. The 3,000 lives lost were innocent victims. Charlie was an innocent victim. Thus, terrorism is senseless, but of course, we know there is some sense (logic, reason, however unhinged or demonic) behind the violence. So, we ask, “Why?” We ask, “How do I make sense of the senseless?”

This reminds me of an ancient story, providing us a wider perspective plus some balm for grieving hearts.

Cain became the first murderer in human history when in anger he killed his brother, Abel. Cain became the criminal, and Abel became the victim. Unjust. Senseless. Unnecessary. Meaningless?

Cain is angry because the Lord (Yahweh) does not accept his offering but accepts Abel’s. You can find the story in Genesis chapter 4. Oh, we’d like more details, but what we have is enough. God counsels Cain, but he does not listen.

“Why are you angry? asks the Lord. “If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must master it.”  Hasn’t God provided Cain with good counsel and a way of escaping sin?

However, when the brothers are together in the field, Cain rises up against his brother and kills him (Gen. 4:8).

Subsequently, the Lord asks Cain, “Where is your brother?”
“I do not know,” lies Cain. “Am I my brother’s keeper?”

“What have you done?” God asks knowingly. (God asks lots of questions in these first chapters, demonstrating how personal and engaging He is. What does this show us?)

Then God declares, “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to Me from the ground.”

Ahh. Are you seeing a connection between Abel and the 3000 lost on 9/11 and the murder of Charlie Kirk? But there is more and then even more.

Thousands of years later, God still testifies of Abel’s character, revealing Abel is still speaking. Hebrews 11:4 explains: “By faith Abel offered to God a better sacrifice than Cain, through which he obtained the testimony that he was righteous, God testifying about his gifts, and through faith, though he is dead, he still speaks.” (How would you like to have God testify that you are righteous and that the positive impact of your life continues unabated?)

Jesus speaks of Abel, calling him the first prophet (Luke 11:49-51), a righteous prophet (Matthew 23:34-35).  What prophecy did Abel give? His prophecy was the story and the blood of his short life.

Abel’s name in Hebrew is Hebel (or Hevel). What does this mean? Literally, it means “breath” or “vapor.” Life is temporary or transitory. What a name for Abel.

“Hebel” is a theme word found thirty-eight times in the book of Ecclesiastes. “Hebel, hebel! All is hebel.” “Breath of breaths.” “Vapor of Vapors.” Fleeting. Life is always changing. You can’t hold on to it. While the NIV translates this as meaningless, Ecclesiastes clearly shows the eternal meaning of a vapor. “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is this: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everythings which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Thus, every breath we breathe has eternal significance, no matter how many breaths we have. Our breath and our blood, our words and our actions comprise our witness.

The Greek word for witness is martyr, but it was the unwavering witness of lives unwilling to  compromise, back down from, or deny their faith and the gospel that turned witness as in “bearing the truth” into witness as in “bearing the truth unto death.” To die for the truth of one’s witness.

Stephen was the first Christian martyr (Acts 7). Three early church martyrs for the faith were Ignatius (68-161), Polycarp (69-155), and Justin (who was then called Justin Martyr, 100 – 166). Explore the record of their lives. Martyrdom follows the history of the church. Tertullian claimed that “the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.” The twentieth and twenty-first centuries are years of increasing Christian martyrdom.

Charlie Kirk is being called a Christian martyr, and I believe rightly so. He is a martyr for what he believed, lived, and clearly articulated about the Christian faith. He is also a martyr for what he believed about American liberty and necessary civility. He believed  the practice of respectful and patient dialogue with individuals of differing and opposing views is crucial to cultural health and to the sustaining of our constitutional republic.

Like Abel, Charlie’s life was a vapor, a breath. Like Abel, Charlie’s blood was spilt and still speaks. Like Abel, Charlie’s righteousness is found in the righteousness of his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Like Abel, by faith Charlie offered his life as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2). Charlie wanted to be remembered for his faith. Certainly, he will be.

Martyrs are witnesses. Witnesses are exemplars. We may or may not be called on to lay down our lives for expressing our convictions or for rescuing others, but we can thank the Lord for righteous footsteps to follow. “Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ” (I Corinthians 11:1).

The sense I make of tragedies such as 9/11 and the assassination of Charlie Kirk is that the length of their lives has little to do with the meaning of their lives. If Abel is still living, if he is still speaking to us, if he is still loved and admired by God, then all of this can be true of anyone else. Surely, it is true of Charlie. May it be true of us.

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PS: Here’s my recent interview with Dr. David L. Turner of Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  Dr. Turner published this on Wednesday afternoon, September 10. I received it about the time I heard that Charlie was shot. So, Charlie gets top billing on today’s post. You probably don’t have the energy or time to explore the following right now, but please come back to it. Dr. Turner put together quite a presentation (blog post and video interview). I am deeply grateful.

A Traveler’s Guide Through Suffering and Joy