“Wisdom listens” -Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was a loving, devoted husband and father.
He was a young, energetic, popular national leader followed by millions worldwide who led a national student and youth movement dedicated to identifying, organizing, and empowering young people to promote the principles of free markets and limited government.
He was a Christian who loudly and proudly professed his faith in God and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
There were certainly those who hated him for what Charlie believed in politically, religiously, and his ideology. Some wanted to silence him.
One person did silence him. Charlie Kirk was assassinated on the afternoon of September 10th on the campus of Utah University.
It was a gross, vile, disgusting public murder at the hands of a young, politically far left man driven by hatred. He hated what Charlie Kirk stood for and for what the conservative icon preached. I’ve seen the worst videos of the assassination from that day and they are grotesque.
His death has affected me, my wife, Sue, and our children Justin, 28, and Liz, 27, as well as her husband Trevor. It’s been shocking to us and something we can’t quite grasp why someone would do this. It has been an emotional time for us since his assassination and it’s odd because we didn’t know him, and we never met him. We routinely watched his podcasts or reels on social media of his debates on college campuses. He was a driving force for conservatives and he aligned in what we believe in ideology, politically, and in our faith as Christians.
As we found out in the next few days, we weren’t alone as millions upon millions of people around the world felt the same way and honored Charlie Kirk. They cried for him and his widow Erika and their 2 children. Millions around the world prayed for his family and came together in love and support by attending vigils and praising him.
“Taste your words before you spit them out” -Charlie Kirk
But, there were some on the left who cheered and mocked Charlie’s horrendous assassination. They went to social media platforms, celebrated his death, and many have been subsequently fired from their jobs for their vile actions. Hate has no place in this world. Hate is driven by Satan and not just for having a difference in opinion.
I know many on the left as they are my family and friends and they are kind-hearted, loving people who agree there is no place for hate and blasphemy. We may not agree on politics, but we don’t let it divide us and love each other as family or remain in strong friendships.
Kirk was assassinated while engaging with college students during a campus debate in Orem, Utah. Seated beneath a tent, he invited students to challenge him on topics ranging from politics to philosophy and religion. He called the format “Prove Me Wrong,” a style that gained significant popularity through his organization, Turning Point USA, which he founded in 2012 at the age of 18. Turning Point USA is committed to identifying, educating, training, and organizing students to promote freedom.
“If you believe in something, you need to have the courage to fight for those ideas – not run away from them or try to silence them” – Charlie Kirk
He held open forums on U.S. college campuses for years and visited hundreds of them. He often was accompanied by other conservative leaders like Vivek Ramaswamy, Tulsi Gabbard, and Riley Gaines.
He was friends with President Donald Trump and Vice President J.D. Vance. Charlie helped students get out and vote and he made a massive difference in the 2024 presidential election. President Trump said he thought of Charlie as one of his sons.
Since Charlie’s death, Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of radio’s “The Charlie Kirk Show,” wrote Sunday on the social media platform X that Turning Point USA has received more than 37,000 new chapter requests.
“To put that in perspective, TPUSA currently has 900 official college chapters and around 1,200 high school chapters, with a presence on 3,500 total,” Kolvet wrote.
“To know the road ahead, ask those coming back” -Charlie Kirk.
Some of the people in the media who intentionally stoked hatred and misinformation about Charlie Kirk now are saying they want to turn the temperature down and start having conversations. Well — that’s what Charlie Kirk was already doing on college campuses across the country. He was having conversations where people could agree or disagree and walk away.
Misinformation was a huge problem when Charlie Kirk’s opponents talked about him. One of those topics was on homosexuals having a place in the conservative movement. In a public debate in 2019 on Charlie’s “Culture War Tour” in Florida, a man from the audience at a microphone asked Charlie his position on whether homosexuals had a place in the conservative political movement. The exchange went like this:
Charlie: “So I’m going to ask a very respectful question as respectfully as I can. What does what they do in their private life concern you so much that you have to go up in front of a crowd and….”
Audience member interrupts: “It is against God! That is, are you a Christian or not?”
Charlie: “Do we live in a theocracy? Yes or no? No.”
Audience member: “You said you’re a Christian.”
Charlie: “I am a Christian. And do you know what? I will say this. Part of being a Christian is appropriately interpreting what the theological says for the individual, but also means to be long-suffering and patient and loving and kind. Jesus Christ talked to all people. Jesus Christ went and did his ministry through Judea and Sumaria and he had dinner with tax collectors and he had dinner with prostitutes and he did his ministry in every part of the Mediterranean.”
Charlie continued: “What it means to be Christian, my friend, is to be open-minded, but firm in your belief. So, you can have that belief. But if you say there’s something inherently wrong with communicating or associating just because they make different personal decisions than you, then you sir are not a conservative. Thanks for being here tonight.”
The crowd applauded loudly.
“The most important thing is my faith in my life:” -Charlie Kirk
Charlie Kirk was a faithful, dedicated servant to God and Jesus Christ. He professed his faith loudly from the stages where he talked and debated, and behind the microphone in televised interviews, or behind his desk on the Charlie Kirk Show. His Youtube channel has more than 5 million subscribers.
He was on a mission from God and once said, “We, as Christians, are called to go into the public arena to correct error with truth. So, I go to college campuses and there’s a lot of error. We’re all sinners. We all live in error. I’m far more interested in what God wants of me than what I want of from God.”
On his Instagram account, he wrote: “I believe in the Bible, and I believe that Christ rose from the dead on the third day. This is the foundation of my faith and guides my actions.”
In an interview on a podcast, Charlie was asked, “If everything completely goes away, how do you want to be remembered?”
Without hesitation, Charlie responded: “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important thing.”
In one of his campus visits, Charlie had a question posed by a man at the microphone. The incredible, ironic exchange went like this:
Man: “I have 30 seconds left to live. I’m dying from a gunshot wound. But what would you actually want to tell me if I have 30 seconds left to live?”
Charlie Kirk: “Um, boy, you got 30 seconds. In 30 seconds, you’re about to meet eternal judgment. And there’s only one way that you can get bailed out of that. And it’s not all the good things you did or the moral scorecard. It’s whether or not you have Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. And that’s the only thing that’s going to matter.”
At this point, the crowd starts cheering.
Charlie continued: “And so, you got 10 seconds left. You’re dying from a gunshot wound. And you ask a question, who is Jesus Christ? And the answer to that singular question, who is Jesus Christ? Is the most important question for everyone in the audience….Not how much money you have, not how much good stuff you do. It is who is Jesus Christ? You might say, oh, Jesus was, you know, a teller of good tales or Jesus was a good person or Jesus was a historical figure. None of that’s going to cut it. It’s whether or not you repent and you ask Christ to come in as your Lord and Savior. That’s the only thing that will save you from eternal damnation.”
“Disagreement isn’t just welcomed, it’s invited” -Charlie Kirk.
There were those who disagreed with Charlie in his debates outside under his tents on college campuses or inside on stages big and small. They were always respectful debates. Sometimes tempers got heated. Sometimes the person debating Charlie ended up in agreement with his view and sometimes they walked away agreeing to disagree. There were haters, but there wasn’t any violence.
“If you eliminate me, others will rise with louder voices.” -Charlie Kirk
Since his death, the world has seen an outpouring of love and support around the world for Charlie and his family.
The weekend after Charlie died, a number of college football teams honored his life, legacy, and family. Entire teams knelt on the fields in prayer to God. There were moments of silence at the stadiums of the LSU Tigers, South Carolina Gamecocks, and Wyoming Cowboys among many others. Before the Tennessee Volunteers and Georgia Bulldogs clashed on the field, 102,000 fans at Neyland Stadium united in a display of American pride with chants and a military flyover.
It didn’t stop there. Tributes or moments of silence were held at NFL stadiums for the Arizona Cardinals, Tennessee Titans, New York Jets, New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and Kansas City Chiefs. A helicopter flyover was held before the Pittsburgh Steelers home game.
The Chicago Cubs also paid tribute at Wrigley Field in Chicago. Charlie Kirk was a huge Cubs fan. On the day of the assassination, the New York Yankees paid tribute when playing against my beloved Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Blake Treinen paid tribute to Charlie Kirk during Friday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants, wearing a hat on the mound featuring Kirk’s name alongside a cross.
NASCAR Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday had a resounding tribute Charlie and a flyover honoring him. NASCAR driver Christopher Bell dedicated his win at Bristol to Charlie Kirk.
Professional golfer Phil Mickelson posted on X: “The assassination of Charlie Kirk is bringing out some of the best in humanity and it’s also exposing some of the worst. The unification, love, support, and outcry on his behalf throughout the world is heartwarming. The number of people supporting (the suspect’s) appalling behavior has opened my eyes to a side of extremism with a moral superiority complex that has also shaken my belief in people in general. I hope they are held accountable for their disgusting rhetoric.”
Vice President J.D. Vance honored Charlie by taking over Charlie Kirk Show podcast Monday, Sept. 15th, hosting Charlie’s friends who all paid tribute to him.
Country music singing star Morgan Wallen in Edmonton over the weekend paid a tribute in a sold-out stadium as thousands of fans held up their phones shining their flashlights. Wallen sang his hit “I’m a little Crazy” in an emotional tribute to Charlie’s widowed wife Erika and her 2 children.
Country music stars Jason Aldean, Gavin Adcock, and Luke Bryan also honored Charlie at concerts over the weekend to cheering fans. Coldplay and Chris Martin paid tribute at a concert in London to Charlie Kirk and to spread love around the world.
Thousands of Canadians held a memorial vigil outside the government offices in Calgary holding candles, Charlie Kirk memorial signs and photos. They sang the U.S. National Anthem and the song Amazing Grace.
All around the U.S., from Detroit to Phoenix, New York City, Boise, Huntington Beach, San Clemente, and Beverly Hills, CA, Hunstville, Alabama, Boston, Dublin, Ohio….as far as the eye can see from coast to coast in the United States of America, there has been an outpouring of love and support and candlelight vigils.
My wife and I will be attending a local vigil for Charlie on Sept. 17th in Shelby Township, MI.
And do you know what you did not see from the millions of mourners? Rioting, looting, yelling, or violence.
One very touching dedication is on X from a 106-year-old woman who paid tribute to Charlie Kirk, saying:
“I am truly sorry for Charlie Kirk’s family and our country. This is a great loss for America. Charlie was a true Christian and a true patriot. A gentleman who held the highest standards for moral values….I’m sending my deepest sympathies for Charlie’s family and friends.”
“Darkness cannot drive out Darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only Love can do that.” -Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Hate, and rage, and anger are discussed in the Bible, too, and the story of Saul reminded me of something resonating in our country and world now.
I’m referring to Saul of Tarsus, who became the Apostle Paul. Before he became a follower of Jesus Christ, Saul was a killer of Christians and he was very good at it. He enjoyed killing followers of Christ and he publicly did so — that is until he got blinded by the light from God and he converted to become a dedicated and loyal follower of Jesus. He changed his name to Paul and was baptized.
I bring up Paul because he was instructed by Jesus to write a letter essentially to political leaders and anti-Christians at the time.
In the Book of Ephesians 4: 25-32, the Apostle Paul writes: “Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold. Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
Paul continues: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
I attended my church last weekend as millions of others did across the country and world to honor Charlie Kirk. There was a massive surge of people attending church services and prayer vigils across the country. People posted on social media that they haven’t attended church in years and attended last weekend. People who said they have never been to church in their lifetime became enlighted and found a church to attend and came out feeling awakened. The death of Charlie Kirk has seemingly awakened a massive movement.
His death is a watershed moment in our American history.
During the sermon at my church, St. Peter Macomb Lutheran Church in Macomb, MI, our fantastic Pastor Dante Pronsati preached about resisting hate and evil and to follow the Apostle Paul’s words as given to him by Jesus.
“How great and powerful these words of Jesus are. And he warns us….Don’t follow that way. Don’t follow your old sinful self. Don’t listen to the people who go against God. Don’t listen to them who say, ‘Yes, you should kill these people. Yes, you should be angry. Yes, you should do this and do that.’ Because what he reminds us of is that we have a new self — one that is in the image of God, one that has been redeemed and set free.”
Pastor Pronsati continued to the congregation: “We are not to hide our faith away in fear or out of anger or out of apathy for the minds of others….We do what it is that we have been called to do, and that is to speak the truth…..Speak the truth that we were made by God, all of us, and that we all belong to him….but some people reject it because they prefer to live in darkness.”
He continued, “We can sometimes get angry when people reject God. Paul warns us, even in our anger, do not sin. Do not speak evil. Do not give the devil his opportunity that he wants so badly. Do not speak evil when faced by such hatred. Instead, what are we going to do together? We will build. We will build together when we speak of the thing that is our firm foundation.
“As Paul writes in this letter, as God has instructed and guided him through the work of the Holy Spirit to reveal to us, let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you. Let us rest in this foundation of Jesus, the one who defeated our sin and forgives us our sins. Let his name be the one that we point people to as we build together for the glory of him who died and rose again as people who withstand the onslaught of the defeated enemies of sin, death, and the devil.
“When conversations stop happening, when individuals become wordless, that’s when violence begins. So if you do one thing today, make it be with passion, with conviction. Stand up for your friends, stand up for your beliefs, and speak loudly even if your voice shakes. Your words have meaning, your values have purpose. Never forget that.” -Charlie Kirk
