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Last week, an assassin’s bullet ended the earthly life of Christian brother, husband, father, and popular political activist Charlie Kirk. Thousands were watching on the campus of Utah Valley University in the early afternoon of Sept. 10, 2025. Millions more prayed for an hour that Kirk would somehow survive. And then we mourned his death. Lorehaven is not a political group. But we do join in this public lamentation. And we look to fantastical stories of great villains and greater heroes to explore the bigger and pre-political questions beneath this tragedy: how we must fight evil in the world.

Episode sponsors

1. Enclave Publishing: Beneath False Stars by S. D. Grimm
2. Outlaw Blood by Noah J. Matthews
3. The Tixie Chronicles by Jack Borden

Mission update

• New at Lorehaven: reviews of Suspended in the Stars and Augmented
• Subscribe free to get updates and join the Lorehaven Guild

Quotes and notes

Our episodes about “culture war” vs. culture creation:

• 40. How May Fantastic Stories Help Us See Politics in Biblical Perspective?
• 136. How Did Politics Become King of Evangelical Popular Culture?
• 178. Should We Weaponize Fantastical Stories To ‘Own the Libs’?
• 188. Can Political Pundits Create Fantastical Stories?
• 251. Could a Cultural ‘Vibe Shift’ Advance Christian-Made Fiction?

Psalm 7:12–17

If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword; he has bent and readied his bow;
he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.

Behold, the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.

He makes a pit, digging it out, and falls into the hole that he has made.

His mischief returns upon his own head, and on his own skull his violence descends.

I will give to the LORD the thanks due to his righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the LORD, the Most High.

Ecclesiastes 3:1–8 (ESV)

For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

2 Corinthians 10:3–6 (ESV)

For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.

Screenshot from The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002).

1. ‘Ride with me. Ride out and meet them.’

• Our personalities influence how we initially respond to great tragedy.
• Many people need a lot more time to heal, to weep, to embrace.
• Yet others (myself included) want to grieve while charging forth.
• Understand, the martial metaphors we use are not literal.
• That’s not our place, as podcasters and fantastical fans.
• But it may be your place in the vocation you’re given.
• Some listening may literally enforce law and order.
• You may be a soldier who literally rides out.
• Either way, we may follow Aragorn’s call.
• More importantly, we follow Christ.

2. ‘For death and glory.’

• But why do we ride? Some find more comfort in ideas dying for Christ.
• Stephen resonates with this, but would much rather live for Christ.
• If martyrdom occurs, that’s a bug, not a feature, yet redeemable.
• Even risking one’s life for the good is better than killing others.
• Théoden King, in the quote, is willing to risk his life in battle.
• But make no mistake, the Rohirrim also want to slay orcs.
• Here we use the “orcs” as bad ideas, not real persons.
• But for the men of Rohan, their orc-slaying is justice.
• Orcs are more like demons, irredeemable invaders.
• They’re disordered, scavengers, and parasites.
• Just like any evil that infects this good land.
• What is glory? Only death worthy of song?
• The Christian must hear, “God’s glory.”

3. ‘For Rohan. For your people.’

• We love how Aragorn does not correct Theoden King, yet clarifies this.
• Their ride forth is not for their own personal satisfaction and pride.
• Instead they ride for their families, their people, their nation.
• This good impulse is often slandered as “nationalism.”
• It’s healthy patriotism. All of us should have it.
• Patriotism overlaps with simple love and loyalty.
• We should want all to love “their own” homes.
• Brits most love Britain. Indians love India.
• Americans should most love America.
• And all should respect others’ loves.
• Aragorn loves Gondor over Rohan.
• And yet he also loves the Rohirrim.
• Yes, loves can become disordered.
• Better to risk this than shun love.

4. ‘Forth Eorlingas!’ … ‘To the King!’

• Finally, our “Rohan” is ancient and forever, all good places in one Home.
• Someday all the saints will ride forth from the sky, led by the final Hero.
• He will perfectly avenge all evil, pour out their blood over the Earth.
• No one can question Him, change the subject, or excuse their evils.
• He will damn to Hell the Dragon, the Beast, and the False Prophet.
• And there everyone would also be doomed, apart from His grace.
• Charlie Kirk honored Jesus as Lord and Savior, and so shall we all.
• He wanted to build a world of heroes and good stories. Us too.
• That’s why Lorehaven isn’t political. We are instead pre-political.
• Now more than ever, we need fantastical hero stories to enjoy.

Revelation 19:11–21 (ESV)

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Com station

How does tragic evil spur you to ride forth for action?

Next on Fantastical Truth

Since the late 2000s, children and grownups have been getting drawn into their mobile devices and tablets. Before then, some were also hooked on TV and video games. Yet how could anyone create those devices without training their imaginations on great works of art? Carolyn Leiloglou, author of The Restorationists fantasy series, returns to help us recall the biblical purpose of art and stories, and how we help children learn to love them.