Christians are coming together to respond to the horrific murder of Christian conservative Charlie Kirk on the campus of Utah Valley University. Christian artist Lauren Daigle responded to Kirk’s assassination on her Instagram, writing, “It’s horrific that our country is in such a polarized state that we believe the ruthless killing of someone is greater than sorting our disagreements. What have we become? Is this barbaric behavior what our forefathers gave their lives for?” asked Daigle. She noted that people of all political affiliations have given their lives for freedom. “It’s not party against party. We are in a spiritual battle. Good versus evil. Light verses dark. ‘For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places,’ Ephesians 6:12 says. IT IS TIME TO PUT ON THE FULL ARMOR OF GOD AND BATHE IN SCRIPTURE.”

She said that learning of Kirk’s assassination had made her “anxious and deeply heartbroken.” “Do we have no respect for human life?” she asked. For perspective, Daigle said she had sought out opinions from the previous generations, stating she had previously spoken to an original “Rosie the Riveter” who had spoken of her concern for the growing lack of respect for one another. “This assassination and the brutally heartless comments celebrating such prove her assessments to be true,” she wrote. “We now see people in black and white text instead of seeing black and white text secondary to who the person IS. Have we completely removed ourselves from ever offering grace? What is a society without grace?”

In her hopelessness, Daigle said she turned to God. “He quickly reminded me that when He was asked, ‘How do we cast these demons out?’, His answer was fasting and praying… My plan is to read scripture and pray on my Instagram every day for the remainder of September. Fasting is supernatural. When the world seems too heavy, it is the antidote to breakthrough. Don’t forget: GOD IS SOVEREIGN.” Daigle invited her followers to join her.

Daigle had previously met Kirk and his wife, Erika. “Violence is not the answer,” she told a listening crowd the day of Kirk’s death. “It’s not the cure when you disagree with someone…My heart goes out to his family. My heart goes out to his wife. I actually had the privilege of meeting his wife a few months ago and Charlie and they loved Jesus.”