Headmaster's Assembly : Monday 15th September 2025
On Wednesday, Charlie Kirk, an American conservative political activist and prominent Trump supporter, author and media personality was brutally assassinated – shot by a sniper – whilst leading a public debate at the University of Utah Valley Campus. Tyler Robinson, a 22 year old local man, was arrested late last week for his murder. We know little about him but what we do know, or at least should know, is that, whatever his motive, there is no political or moral measure by which killing someone for their political views, however objectionable, can be justified.
Good morning everyone, please do sit down.
“Violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonising those with whom you disagree,” President Trump perhaps somewhat ironically declared after the shooting. The rhetoric of the “radical left… is directly responsible for the terrorism we are seeing in our country today.”
What we must remember is that politically-motivated violence is a two way street – those on the right have perpetrated equally violent acts on those whose views they oppose on the left. Nine years ago, here in the UK, MP Jo Cox was brutally murdered on the street by a far-right activist, Thomas Mair.
And this weekend, over 100,000 people marched through central London as part of the “Unite the Kingdom” protest, calling for free speech and a greater focus on British heritage and culture. It was Britain’s largest far right protest march for decades.
It was only this time last week that I spoke about the central importance of free speech and once more we see the battleground between the political right and left laid out in front of us. Trump loyalists are now calling for the arrest of those on the left who have celebrated Charlie Kirk’s murder online; again, ironically, it was not long ago that Conservatives insisted that free speech must include the right to be obnoxious and hurtful. How the tables turn sometimes.
But I’m going to park these events for now and spend a moment reflecting on some other events in my own life this week.
Within the last fortnight, two members of my close family have been diagnosed, days apart, with rare types of cancer, one a cancer of the bile duct, known as cholangiocarcinoma, and the other a blood cancer not dissimilar to leukaemia. Doctors told both members of my family that they had around 12 months to live.
This, of course, came as a huge shock to me and my family and, whilst we remain positive and upbeat, it has caused me to reflect on life and the sudden impact of such news. At moments like this, we are usefully directed to think about, and it might sound cliched, “the things that really matter”.
Last week, our Prefects shared their favourite quotes with us and in the same vein today, I’ll share one which has resonated powerfully with me this week:
“I have not yet grown wise enough to deeply enjoy simple things”.
It’s a call to face what is a pathology of modern world. There is almost an embarrassment in our modern lives, in modern society, at taking pleasure from ordinary pursuits. That the things we feel proud about and take a sense of self-worth from should be grand.
I feel this often. We are all faced with it on social media and television. If you’re not base jumping off the top of a skyscraper or hopping on a private jet to an exclusive all expenses paid, celebrity only DJ set at Ibiza’s most popular club, or sunning oneself off the back of a million-pound yacht on the mediterranean, you’re surely not experiencing pleasure.
So often we watch snippets of individuals on camera who are asked to speak about themselves and almost exclusively they will talk about themselves in terms of what they have done, what they have achieved, how much they earned, how many followers on Instagram they have, etc. Very few, if any, talk about what they believe in, what they take joy from, their quirky hobbies or unique interests.
Everyone here in this Chapel this morning has these things. You all believe in something and deep down, I hope you will know the values that you hold dear in any situation. You will all have an interest in something, whether that is more mainstream or niche. Embrace that, be proud of it, share it and celebrate it.
Too often in today’s world there is a sense of the “how feeble, how shallow and unimpressive is a life where lying in a hammock for an hour with a good book is one of the great sources of joy”.
So, I leave you with this, this morning: if you’re not happy having a coffee with a friend, you won’t be happy on a yacht…true happiness and contentment come from within. Find joy in simple moments and cultivate a positive state of mind, regardless of your circumstance.
