In light of the political assassination of Charlie Kirk, I wish to share an excerpt from my recent novel, "A Human Rights Odyssey" in which I comment on violence in North American society.

Matthew 11:12 states: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent bear it away.” In the twenty-first century, the violent must never be allowed to bear it away. Violence has never provided lasting solutions to social problems. Show me a violent society, and I will show you a soci- ety that is anti-intellectual, closed to new ideas, opposed to rational discourse, loathes compromise, and emphasizes tribalism and ethnic loyalty at the expense of embracing the big picture.

I know this. As long as domestic and international relationships are governed by “us and them”, “might makes right,” and “the zero- sum game,” humanity will not move an inch. The unholy fires of extremism, bigotry, and violence must give way to the sacred fires of hope and reconciliation.