In the wake of the tragic shooting of Charlie Kirk, I’ve noticed Christian conversations online falling into three main groups:
1) Some are uneasy, worried that their church gatherings are sounding more like current affairs lectures than Bible studies.
2) Others have actually gone back to church for the first time in ages, stirred by what’s happening.
3) And sadly, some have walked away from fellowship altogether because of how recent Sundays have been handled.
Now, I’m no ordained pastor (and would question the sanity of anyone who would think of ordaining me) —just an ordinary believer with a decaf coffee in one hand and Scripture in the other—but here’s my encouragement: if you’ve found a fellowship where you feel welcomed, where you’re being spiritually fed, and where your gifts can be used, please don’t walk away. I have been in churches where I was with 400 others but I was the loneliest guy in the room, now I am being used by people who value my contribution.
A Word About Pastors
On the flip side: don’t threaten your pastor. Seriously. Disagree if you must, and if there’s a genuine biblical concern, then by all means meet with him respectfully. But threatening God’s shepherds over minor differences of opinion? That’s not just unhelpful—that’s unbiblical.
Pastors are human. They get tired, they make mistakes, they don’t always phrase things perfectly. But they’re also called to shepherd God’s flock, and they’ll give an account for it (Hebrews 13:17). That’s a weight most of us wouldn’t want to carry.
Lone Ranger Christianity Doesn’t Work
The Christian life was never meant to be lived alone. Scripture tells us plainly:
“Not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.”
— Hebrews 10:25, ESV
If you’ve been hurt by church, I get it. I’ve carried church hurt too—the sting of feeling like you don’t fit in, or that no one sees your pain. But not every church is the same. Somewhere, God has prepared a fellowship for you—a body where you’re not just a spectator but a vital part of Christ’s work.
Union, Communion, Community
Think about the Lord’s Supper: we call it Communion. You can’t have Communion without Union. If you’re Catholic or Episcopal, you can’t spell Eucharist without U (you). And you can’t have Community without Unity.
In other words—faith is personal, but it’s never private. God designed us to grow in Him together.
The call to action not isolation
Don’t give up. Don’t isolate. Don’t wander off like a Lone Ranger Christian. Instead, pray and seek the fellowship where God wants to plant you. And when you find it—invest deeply.
Paul reminds us:
“Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.”
— 1 Corinthians 12:27, ESV
You have a role. You have gifts. You matter to the body.
So stay the course. Stay connected. And let Christ use you to strengthen His church—because even the Lone Ranger had Tonto.
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