The Reason for the Hope

 

Thursday 9/11/25  Travel log (supplemental)  Ooh, I love the Trekkie sound of that. We are in Helena to give our scholarship posters and presentation to Tracy’s college. 

  (Charlie Kirk was assassinated yesterday. Although I did not follow him on social media, he was a believer and compelling apologist for conservatism. The savagery that has become part of our culture saddens me.)

Friday 9/12/25     

    Reed and I gave our presentation at Helena College today. There were 20 some students in attendance, two of which were women. They set up a podium and display table in the hangar. The only hitch was they had to shut the hangar door when a plane came nearby during Reed’s speech and drowned him out. Reed gave them good information for a career in aviation. I talked about Tracy. After I shared about his bonding the class with Hawaiian shirt Fridays, followed by fez Fridays, I found out the traditions had continued, but no one knew how they started. The machinist class wears Hawaiian shirts on Thursdays, because they don't meet on Friday. And I saw fezes in random places around the hangar and classrooms. I explained the reason why, of the ways we could have chosen to honor his memory, we set up a scholarship. Besides sharing about what God did for us on the road to Rimrock in my speech, I was also able to share about forgiving the dealer and several other things about the Lord before and after we spoke. My You Version verse for today is 1 Pet. 3:15 Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. I got to do that today.

  (Charlie Kirks’ killer was arrested today after being recognized by family and confessing to his father, a veteran law enforcement officer. Since his father held him securely, there was no danger to his son or law enforcement during the arrest. Some of the people celebrating Kirk's death on social media are surprised to discover they have lost their jobs. (When people don’t realize it is wrong to celebrate the murder of someone they disagree with, our country is a very frightening place to be.)

    But I have not lost hope-- My recent Facebook post:

It is pointless to say violence is not the answer while promoting fear and hatred of those who disagree with you is accepted speech in our culture. Murder is the fruit that grows from the seed of hate. 

Always. 

   I have found the assassination of Charlie Kirk to be especially discouraging because, by all appearances, evil has won. But then I remembered, there has never been a time when God was unable to use some evil act of man to work toward his own good purpose. 

Always. 

 

   I pray that those who listened to his words will turn to his Lord.