MARY REICHARD, HOST: Today is Tuesday, September 16th. Good morning! This is The World and Everything in It from listener-supported WORLD Radio.I’m Mary Reichard.
LINDSAY MAST,HOST: And I’m Lindsay Mast.
On Friday we heard Pastor Kevin DeYoung encourage parents and mentors not to feel pressured to say everything about Christian conservative Charlie KirkS death all at once. That’s our approach here, too.
REICHARD: Since Wednesday’s assassination, prayer vigils and memorial services have sprung up worldwide, some planned, some spontaneous. Our reporters will cover several of those later this week. but now, we turn to a moment of reflection.
MAST: Singer-songwriter Matthew West has written a new song in response to Charlie Kirk‘s death. WORLD’s Myrna Brown spoke with West earlier and brings us part of that conversation:
MYRNA BROWN: Good morning, Matthew.
MATTHEW WEST: Hey, good morning. It’s great to be with you as always.
BROWN: Thank you for being here. Many of us, Matthew, are still coming to terms with Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Everyone, as you know, processes grief and pain in different ways. You chose to write a song. Would you tell me about how that helps you?
WEST: Yeah, absolutely. I woke up early in the morning the day after we had found out about what happened to Charlie Kirk.And I literally woke up in the morning with the verse of Psalm 34:18 in my mind and I had a melody right off the bat. I was like, Jesus be close to the broken heart and save those who are crushed in spirit. And I just started singing that to myself and just singing God’s promise over myself. And I just sat down and I thought,okay,you know,this is just how I process as you know what my other option is,if I’m being honest,it’s to be angry,it’s to go down rabbit holes and to be obsessed by the news and just to watch the news 24/7. And I think it’s great to be educated and aware of what’s going on, but that can be all consuming. And so I found solace in God’s word. And I was also comforted by the thought that like in my confusion, in my anger, in the feelings that I was feeling as I was watching the news and then having to, you know, try to shield my daughters from what they might see on social media, it was God’s word that came back to me and I didn’t open my Bible and read it, it was God’s word that I had hidden in my heart that returned to my heart and to my memory in a moment when I needed to be reminded exactly where God is when guess what, a lot of us were asking that very question, God where are you in times like this? Well he tells us, he’s close, he is close.
BROWN: what a testament to Bible memorization, you know, hiding the word in your heart so you can call it up when you need it. You mentioned the lyric is based on Psalm 34:18. As you said, “the Lord is near to the broken hearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” Why should we meditate on that scripture right now?
WEST: Well, quite frankly, I think we have to push away the lies of the enemy, you know, who gets the final say? You know, like we’re I think there’s a lot of times we start to get discouraged and say, Lord, I know, I know that we have victory in Jesus. We sang that hymn the other night at a vigil in Tennessee last night, actually, “victory in Jesus, my savior forever.” But we were singing it from broken hearts and really trying to believe that we do have victory. As some days it looks like the devil’s winning. And so it’s so impo
Matthew West on Finding Strength in Faith Amidst Division
Singer-songwriter Matthew West recently discussed the challenges of navigating arduous times and responding to societal division, explaining how current events spurred him to write a new song. He shared his struggle to articulate his feelings publicly, finding it easier to express himself through music. West noted the emotional toll of public reaction, including both support and criticism, even experiencing unfollows for honoring a life lost. This experience ignited a desire to “be bold and be a light where there’s dark,” responding to hatred with both love and truth.
West emphasized the importance of turning to faith during times of uncertainty. he encouraged listeners to find solace in Jesus, referencing the scripture, “Come unto me, all who are weary and I will give you rest.” He expressed hope for a national spiritual awakening, believing it is indeed already beginning to unfold.
His song, “Be Close,” reflects this sentiment, offering a message of comfort and hope:
“Jesus be close, to the broken hearted,
Save those, who are crushed in spirit,
We certainly know that you’ve always been our only hope.
Be near, when our minds are flooded with fear,
Be the hand that’s wiping our tears,
And the voice that whispers: “Weary soul be still and know I’ll always be close…”
matthew West is a recording artist with Provident Label Group and Sony Music, known for his songs that offer healing and encouragement.
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