Cosmic Trauma Cosmic Healing
“Then…everyone…hid in caves and among the rocks of the mountains. 16 They called… “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of theirwrath has come, and who can withstand it?”” (Rev 6:15-17)
Introduction
Since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the Christian blogosphere has been on fire, with mourning, allegations about the monetisation of his death, plus various strong convictions about his political views. E.g. “Has Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Sparked a Revival?” https://dailydeclaration.org.au/2025/09/15/charlie-kirk-culture-warrior/ Various people have asked me for comment as to the spiritual significance of this dreadful murder. Striving to think only in the Spirit (Col 1:29), I have refrained from any opinion (Rom 14:1) for I have no anointing in political matters. Was Kirk a “rainbow martyr” (Rainbow Radicals – by Paul Tyson) or simply a young man targeted by radical left-wingers.? Or, is the matter more foundational: a call to all followers of Jesus to submit our anger to him as sovereign Lord (Charlie Kirk: the problem is not murder but anger | Seen & Unseen.) Given there is a measure of truth in all these perspectives, the Spirit of the Lord has yet pointed me beyond them to the immensity of the plan of God.
Apocalyptic Space-Time
Presently, people are asking whether Matt 24:3-14, with its war, food shortages, and earthquakes currently occurring are signs of the soon Return of Christ.
(Quora Digest<english-quora-digest@quora.com>)? Whether conflicts in Europe, Middle East, Africa or Asia are on their mind, the answer is necessarily “Yes”. Why? Because with the coming of the “last one” (Matt 11:3; Heb 1:2; Rev 21:6; 22:13 etc.) all later historical events are charged with apocalyptic significance, pointing to the coming back of Christ “soon” (Rev 22:12, 20) as “the Saviour of the world” (John 4:42). When the federal climate change authority recently released a report (https://www.climatechangeauthority.gov.au/) with warnings of apocalyptic danger to our nation, and planet, if we do hasten to a net-zero target, such warnings are intentionally scary. Especially considering Australia’s irrelevancy on the scale of global polluters (https://www.wri.org/insights/interactive-chart-shows-changes-worlds-top-10-emitters). Far more significant than emission targets on a biblical scale is our attitude to the descendants of Abraham (cf. “He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” (Gal 3:14).
Israel
Romans 9-11 spells out God’s age-old plan for the conversion of the Jewish people: “I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, 26 and in this way all Israel will be saved. ” (Rom 11:25-26). Presently, due to the Gazan conflict, we are witnessing the most widespread anti-Semitism in modern history. Whilst “standing with Israel” has little to do with the future of the Gospel in the world (cf. https://www.thebanner.org/features/2019/12/why-i-m-not-a-christian-zionist), Christians everywhere are called to intercede for the inbreaking of God’s kingdom in Christ upon the Jewish population wherever they live. This is an end-times/eschatological imperative as commanded by Christ (Matt 28:18-20). As difficult as the notion of “Israel” may be, and just as foundational, is the role of the Servant-martyr in Scripture (Isaiah 42:1–4, 49:1–6, 50:4–11, and 52:13–53:12).
Martyrdom
As the first martyr of the Church, Stephen occupies a pivotal place in saving history. Not only is Saul>Paul present at his stoning (Acts 8:1), but the scattering of the Church sparks the evangalisation of the Gentiles (Acts 11:19, 26). The ancient motto, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church,” (Tertullian c.197 AD) is a time-honoured truth. This raises the question sharply, is a martyr by this definition? Is Zwingli, the early Reformer, killed in combat, or Bonhoeffer, hung for his part in the bomb plot against Hitler? Suffering through Christlikeness qualifies the martyrs. But how much, and must it be physical? Does Charlie Kirk, with his dominant politicising qualify? More importantly, do you qualify? Hearing personally from survivors of the Barlonyo Massacre and Rwandan Genocide, the bar of martyrdom is higher than most of us desire to imagine (2 Tim 3:12). Western Christians must discern that the Lord of all (Acts 10:36; Eph 3:10) is increasingly submitting us to his process of cosmic traumatisation (Rev 6:15-17).
Cosmic Trauma – Cosmic Healing
That the whole world has been plunged into trauma through the Fall is an inescapable brute fact from which all sinners seek to shield themselves, by whatever ingenious means e.g. fig leaves and caves (Rev 6:15-17; Isa 2:19). To be a fallen human being is always to live on the edge of an infinite abyss, on the precipice of eternal judgement, as Jesus says, people “weep and gnash their teeth” (Matt 13:42). Sinners are always “in the (nail scarred) hands of an Angry God” (Jonathan Edwards). For such trauma Jesus weeps still (Luke 19:41-44; Col 1:16). The great theological minds teach that Scripture (https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/kevin-deyoung/theological-primer-supralapsarianism-and-infralapsarianism/) holds God ultimately, though not mediately (https://thecripplegate.com/god-and-evil-why-the-ultimate-cause-is-not-the-chargeable-cause/), responsible for all the traumas of this world (e.g. “The Lord brings death and makes alive etc” 1 Sam 2:1-10). This is the deep though evoked in me by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the slaughter of Gazans etc. (Even if to simply state such things sounds atrocious.) Cosmic trauma leads to a much grander revelation of the cosmic healing of the cross where “through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.” (Col 1:20) This is a vision of nothing less than cosmic healing via “the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world.” (Rev 13:8). In this true apocalyptic vision “all things are now beautiful” (Eccl 3:11) bathed in the sweet-smelling savour (Eph 5:2) of the Son’s ravishing sacrifice (Eph 5:26).
Conclusion
Wherever we are on the absolute timeline known only by God the Father (Matt 24:36; 1 Thess 5:2) through the lens of the cross we perceive that our Lord is working to heal all nations, “Go straight for souls, and go for the worst.” (Wm Booth) is applicable for Jesus’ plan for the world today. Whether the ravaged traumatised Myanmar (my favourite calling), or hardened Laodicean Aussieland, the one Gospel has power to heal all wounds. Anything less than this focus is useless distraction.