"He Sees Us"
Author: Sr. Pastor Zach Somerville
September 25, 2025
A Word to the MPBC Family in Our Time of Grief and Challenge
Beloved Church Family,
These are heavy days for our nation, our communities, and for our souls. We mourn together yet again as tragedy and loss remind us of how fragile life is and how deep the wounds in our land. Two recent events have stirred hearts, raised questions, and called us to respond as people of faith: the death of a young student at Delta State University and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
A Life Lost at Delta State
On the campus of Delta State University, the 21-year-old student Demartravion “Trey” Reed was found hanging from a tree, discovered early in the morning near dorms and athletic courts. Local authorities have ruled his death a suicide, concluding the autopsy results support that finding.
Yet the pain, the questions, the community’s grief do not fade with this report. Trey was a Young Black Man in this yet to be United States of America, a young man with dreams, family, and promise. We as a community are simply asking for transparency, for deeper testimony, for accountability and for real healing.
For many, this is not just a statistic. It is a face, a name, a story that feels familiar, too familiar. We must remember: God sees us even when the world does not.
A National Shock: The Killing of Charlie Kirk
Also in recent days, across the country, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, has drawn media attention and political reflection. He was shot while speaking at a university event in Utah, and his death has sparked national debates about political violence, public discourse, and the cost of influence.
His life was controversial, his views divisive; yet his death cuts across political lines as another life lost in our fractured culture. Many are asking: What does it mean when speech, influence, or platform become targets? How do we guard against violence while preserving dignity, justice, and truth?
What Do We Do as the Church?
In the face of sorrow, uncertainty, and polarized narratives, I believe MPBC must be a refuge of clarity, compassion, and action. Here’s how we can respond together:
1. Pray deeply and unceasingly. Let us intercede for Trey Reed, for his family, for students and young people everywhere grieving alone. Let us pray for healing in our nation, for cessation of violence, and for the hearts of our leaders.
2. Offer presence before answers. We may not have all the facts or fully understand every motive. But we can be present to the hurting, to those who feel unseen, to communities longing for justice. Let our church posture be one of presence, not just opinion.
3. Promote mental-health awareness and support. If Trey’s death is confirmed as suicide, it is a stark reminder of how many young people are walking in darkness, struggling silently. The church must not shy away from mental health, counseling, and support. We must do more to destigmatize seeking help, to train caregivers, and to build systems of support among our members.
4. Reject violence in speech, posture, and action. Kirk’s death compels us to wrestle with political tension, disagreement, and rhetoric. As Christians, we must speak truth with gentleness, preserve the dignity of opponents, and model a posture of love, not rage or dehumanization. The moment we justify violence or demonizing language is the moment we betray the Gospel we claim to follow even if we don’t agree with someone’s Opinions or Politics.
5. Be visible agents of reconciliation and justice. We can offer community forums, safe spaces for conversation, prayer vigils, and partnerships with local organizations working on mental health, violence prevention, and reconciliation. Our faith must look like healing in the streets, not only worship on Sundays.
Closing Encouragement
Church, I want to remind you: even when the world seems to forget, God sees us. He sees Trey. He sees families mourning. He sees voices stifled, hopes deferred, hearts broken. He sees you.
As we go forward this week, let our steps be shaped by compassion, conviction, humility, and courage. Let us mourn, speak truth, extend care, and remain steadfast in faith. May MPBC be known as a place where the unseen becomes seen by God and by one another.
In Christ’s love and hope,
Pastor Zach Somerville
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