Dear Christian,

Please do not leave your church over what your pastor did or did not say about Charlie Kirk last Sunday.

I have talked with so many pastors who are doing their best to address the moment well. They are working to elevate the conversation, to place the focus on the dark spiritual powers behind the problem. They are trying to be careful with their words so that they can shepherd their churches and preserve the unity of the Spirit. Some have regrets. Some would do a few things differently, add a few more words or say a bit less.

I also know that as pastors we need to listen to our people. We have blind spots. We don’t know what it feels like in your corner of the community. We need to hear your pain and your perspectives. I have benefited from the conversations with people in our church.

We can’t have the conversations we need to have if we leave the community the moment we disagree.