Steve Deace (@SteveDeace)

Still can’t believe he’s gone. Still can’t believe this really happened, even though I’ve shed so many tears so many times over the last year like I lost a brother. But also because I know what The Church and our country lost. It’s been a year now. The gaping void is still there. Much of the dysfunction on our side you are currently seeing you would not if he were still here. We have watched noteworthy people break, heel turn, and deconstruct in the past year we would’ve never predicted seeing even two years ago as evidence of the apostolic type calling that was upon Charlie’s life. His martyring and its aftermath is one of the great siftings in church history. For all he incredibly accomplished by just age 32, the untapped potential never realized is beyond significant. The rest of us need to challenge each other every day by asking ourselves are we worthy of the bullet Charlie took on our behalf? Are we worthy of the high cost the family he left behind has to pay every day? He was among the finest men I’ve ever known, and he was just beginning to come into his own. The enemy knew right where to hit us, which is why it still hurts. We will never fully heal from this loss. It will leave a scar as a permanent reminder of the severity of the wound. May that scar, though, be an eternal reminder to each of us our duty is to now fulfill one of Charlie’s favorite Scriptures. Whenever the time comes to hit the enemy back, we must now answer the call — “Here I am LORD, send me.”