For Charlie and For Free Speech

My words were a warning,

a warning I never wanted to witness.

I was asked to address the Liberty University research week awards ceremony last semester. My comments were based on the famed science fiction writer Ray Bradbury, who encouraged the maintenance of libraries and protection of free speech.

In part, I said,

“Every generation fights the same Bradburian cautions. We stand against all forms of extremism, no matter their origin. We are preparing ourselves to serve the culture, showing beauty, doing good, so that some will want to hear Truth. We submit ourselves to The Personal Eternal Triune Creator, Who made Himself known through the Person of Jesus and the proclamation of His Word from the writings of Moses through the Apocalyptic literature of the apostle John.

We are training champions for Christ, not in the sense of We win but We serve.

And what better way to serve, than to do research that helps others?”

For Charlie, from Mark.

For us, Charlie is (not was), he passed over (he did not pass away), he lives There (though gone from here), his voice ripples through millions (it was not silenced), his work is finished (ours is not).