More than 300 turn out in Warsaw for prayer vigil after Kirk’s murder
This post was provided by News Now Warsaw
By David Slone
Times-Union
WARSAW — They gathered together. They listened together. They sang together. And they prayed together.
Over 300 people — some with American flags, a few with signs, from babies to the elderly and ages in between — met at Central Park in Warsaw Thursday night for the “Pray for America Vigil & Remembrance.”
Beforehand, Joe Jackson, of Warsaw, an organizer, explained, “The reason we organized it was the events of last week. And we were trying to be patient to see if anybody else wanted to do something. We just felt led that if nobody else was going to do it, why not us? And the goal is just to encourage people and to point to the thing that Charlie (Kirk) pointed to, which was his faith in the Lord and to say that brings hope. So in the midst of all the craziness, that brings hope.”
On Sept. 10 in a campus courtyard at Utah Valley University, Kirk, 31, a conservative activist and speaker, was assassinated by Tyler Robinson, 22, of Washington, Utah.
Robinson has since been arrested and charged with aggravated murder and other crimes.
Joe said the itinerary for Thursday’s event would basically be opening remarks, spend some time singing, spend some time in prayer, some guided prayer time, a couple more songs, a gospel presentation and that was about it.
He said the turnout was pretty cool.
“It was one-day notice with no money invested, and so we were just seeing what the Lord would do, and people were generous,” Joe said. “I think it just shows that people could use some encouragement, some hope.”
From Thursday’s event, he was uncertain where it would go from there.
“I guess we’ll see what happens. We didn’t even plan to do this. So I guess we’ll just see what happens,” Joe, who is a student pastor at First Church of God in Columbia City, said.
Kate Jackson, his wife and a co-organizer, said, “We’ll see what the response is and what the Lord does.”
In Joe’s opening remarks, he said, “I’m sure that we’re all kind of here for similar reasons, maybe the reasons are a little bit different, too, so I just encourage you to lean in with us tonight. We’re going to do some scripture reading, we’re going to have some prayer time, we’re going to sing some hymns. The goal of tonight is to pray for our country, to petition the Lord and ask for his blessing and continued guidance. It’s also to honor Charlie Kirk and who he was and what he did. So the goal of tonight is to do what he did, which is to point people to Jesus.”
Continuing, he said, “We gather here not just to mourn, but we gather to seek the Lord. The scripture’s promise in Psalm 34:18 – ‘The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.’ So we come honestly, but also we come hopefully and hopeful to see what God can do when people gather together and lean in, in the same direction.”
Joe said they also gather to remember that faith was the most important thing to Kirk, more than politics, influence or the spotlight.
“His ultimate hope – and I hope your ultimate hope, if not now, before you leave – is in Jesus Christ. That’s why we can say that his faith, his life wasn’t wasted. His life reminds us that following Jesus is costly, but the cost is worth it. And so this is a night of prayer, of probably some lament. Maybe it’s going to stir back up those feelings that we felt a week ago, but if you’re a person of deep faith, of deep conviction or maybe you’re just kind of figuring it out and you’re like, ‘Well, Charlie lived and something was worthwhile and I kind of feel like I want to know what that is, too,’ welcome. Thank you for coming,” Joe said.
He led everyone in a prayer, followed by his dad, Bob, leading everyone in the first of several hymns.
Joe read more from the Bible and spoke about the scripture, followed by Bob leading everyone in singing “Amazing Grace.” Everyone then broke up into small groups to pray together for three different things: first, everyone prayed for themselves and confessed of their sins; second, everyone prayed for unity and healing; and finally, everyone prayed for the future, the community and the nation, and the courage to pursue unity and healing.
After a prayer by Joe, Sam Yeiter then spoke and read passages from the Bible to encourage everyone.
The night concluded with one last group sing and a benediction.
The post More than 300 turn out in Warsaw for prayer vigil after Kirk’s murder appeared first on News Now Warsaw.
