Monday I awoke to news of an active police event unfolding in the Waikato. I had breakfast, headed to work and didn’t think to much more of it. Such events involving police and arms are, sadly. becoming more and more common. At lunch time news broke Tom Philips was dead. A child was in police custody. 2 children were alone out in the rugged bush somewhere resulting in a massive manhunt being underway. I was stunned. Never had I thought it would end like this.
Rewind 4 years and you have a desperate man fighting for the custody of his 3 beloved children. He knows they do not want to live with their meth addicted mother. Philips knows the New Zealand justice system, the court system, the narrative, everything, is stacked against him, and not just him but countless other fathers out there who have done wrong but are seeking to do right. So he went bush with his kids for a few weeks. As the legal system dragged out and the situation became more complex, in December 2021 he went bush with his kids ago. In over 3 1/2 years, only a couple of guaranteed sightings were proven. A handful of criminal activities have been blamed on him and at least one child but lack definite proof. Remember the burden of proof in New Zealand is innocent until proven guilty. During that period, numerous manhunts were conducted, $80,000 offered as a reward to anyone helping or with information. That bribe was never claimed. Philips was too good and the NZ police looked like fools.
On Monday 8th September, 2025, all that changed. Philips and a child were caught stealing and spikes set up by a lone police officer. Shots were fired and the officer injured, Philips killed. In front of his eldest daughter. I couldn’t believe it had ended like this. Why shoot to kill? Now you have a dead man and there are 2 kids alone in the bush, who couldn’t be found for the last 4 years. That afternoon I prayed she’d be able to take help to her siblings. The mother quickly posted relief the ordeal was over. A sense of unease and an unsettled feeling plagued me all afternoon. The mother seemed as deluded as ever.
As far as I can tell, this ordeal is far from over. Philips, out of love for his kids, was in hiding for nearly 4 years. The media love to portray him as a murderer, criminal and dangerous man. Yet desperation and love for his kids drove him to extremes. The children are all fit and healthy, contrary to media expectations of them being wild and starved. Yet the real ordeal for them just begins. The man who has looked after them for 4 years is gone. Forever. One lives with that image of his death, committed by someone trying to ‘help’, for the rest of their life. They now readjust to ‘normal’ and all without the love and support of their father and friend. Ever again. I pray for them and their family. I pray the active documentary being made while police investigate never sees the light of day.
Society is divided, judging by social media, fairly evenly on whether Philips did the right thing or not, whether police did the right thing or not, whether he should have been asked to come out, no charges laid, custody given and help as well. He has become a hero to the many fathers out their battling for justice to see their kids. He is the hero to many parents wanting their kids to grow up bush and world savvy, not brainwashed robots from society.
Fast forward three days on Thursday, 11th September, 2025, Charlie Kirk was assassinated. I had heard of Kirk during Trump’s campaign but it was only a week or so ago I started watching his videos on Facebook as he humbly and politely debated anyone anywhere on any topic- religion, abortion, politics, LGBTQI+ and everything in between. At 31 years old he was polite, knowledgeable and well spoken with a mass following. I agreed with pretty much everything he said and could see how much he was using his God given gifts to turn people to Jesus and encourage thought. A vague thought crossed my mind of I hope he doesn’t get killed by someone for speaking the truth.
Lunchtime Thursday was another meal of shock. My husband said Charlie Kirk had been shot. A quick search showed he’d been shot in the neck and died soon after. I was in shock. That same discomfort and unease filled me. Something changed within. A something deep that has beckoned others as well, who claim to feel it too. This wasn’t just shock that he was so young- not even 12 months older than me. No, this is the unquiet one gets before the storm, before you go to war. You see, his death is all over the media, both mainstream and social media. The left is celebrating. Openly gloating and thrilled. The right is angry. Angry, hurt, upset and seeking revenge. The comments were disgusting. A very few voices on the left called out these reactions, instead saying that while they didn’t agree with Kirk, he did not deserve to die.
You see, as well as a wife now being a widow, and 2 gorgeous children under 5 years of age no longer having a daddy, we have reached a point where people realise that if you can’t win a fight with words, you win with violence. Lasting, final violence. And there are people rejoicing over this. But there is also another factor. Charlie’s death will touch more lives for good than his life did and thousands flock to watch his videos and hear the gospel, pure and simple. They have the testimony of a man who lived as he preached and preached what he lived. I look forward to meeting him in heaven.
During such times when life is so fragile, I reminded by the numerous scriptures of the last days. References to letting your light shine bright before men. Scriptures about war, violence, hated for the truth, Jesus’ name sake. Scriptures about holding fast to the end, about division between people and families. This unquiet, unsettling is the knowledge that one day, that could be me. That deep down during covid I made the decision of the hill I’ll die on, the line I’ll stand on. The line of Truth, that will tell people the Truth about life and death, Christ and the resurrection, the truth about history, life, past and present, whether my life, the church, the nation. No more pretending, no more passive watching. Whatever. Whenever. Any cost. All ready I’ve lost friends and family who don’t like the truth. All around the world, every single day Christians die for their faith. Over 1000 have died in Syria alone this year I believe, hundreds across Africa.
We are called to stand as well. Too many lines have crossed. Charlie showed the example of getting out of the echo chamber of church and Christian culture, and instead go to the masses, go to the universities, to the future of the nation. He heard the call of God and saw the harvest and went out as a labourer into the world for Christ. For a few years now a quiet army has been building. We see it in New Zealand with the gangs and members, both past and present giving their lives to Jesus. Now there is a large army arising in America as well, in the UK, Australia, around the world calling people to Jesus and truth. Our lights will be snuffed out, one by one as the devil gets angry. But the lights of those who remain will shine brighter and brighter for the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. One single match in a stadium of 50,000 can be seen. How much more light from 100,000 candles?
