Charlie Kirk: A Call to Christians to Speak Truth in Love

I’m writing to discuss the recent event of Charlie Kirk’s murder and the response I encourage my fellow believers to take. I have given much thought to what I want to say and how I want to say it. I believe it is a crucial conversation that needs to happen, especially among believers in Christ. Now is the time to call the church to speak truth in love.

Because of the tragic event of Charlie Kirk’s murder and the celebration by many in our nation, I have felt the call to focus my blog on speaking truth in a culture full of lies. I have debated this for many months, but lacked the courage until now. I lacked courage, not so much out of fear of man but out of worry I wouldn’t get everything right. However, I realized just like Charlie Kirk wasn’t perfect, I am also human and will never get everything correct.  When reading my post, please keep in mind that these are my opinions and always test them against the word of God and your own convictions.

Before his passing, I occasionally watched Charlie Kirk’s videos and was familiar with Turning Point USA. I didn’t always agree with him or his methods of communication; dare I say, I even thought he seemed arrogant at times. But I believe he was maturing in his faith as he sought out apologetic counsel from Dr. Frank Turk, someone I respect. Frank was a close friend and mentor of Charlie’s who witnessed his death. I always appreciated Charlie’s zeal and passion for speaking truth on college campuses. He seemed to really care for the youth of America and wanted healthy dialogue and debate.

When I heard of Charlie Kirk’s murder, I was shocked and saddened. It felt heavy and dark, and I woke up the next day with a familiar heaviness on my chest. For a few weeks, I continued to think about his death in disbelief. I wondered why it bothered me so much since I never knew Charlie Kirk personally. Over the weeks, I have come to conclude several reasons that made this event more shocking than most tragedies you hear in the news.

Why Was Charlie Kirks Assassination Shocking?

1. Charlie Kirk was young, only 31, and had a young wife and family.
2. Charlie Kirk was murdered by a gruesome gunshot to the neck, not only with 3,000 people who witnessed this, but all around the world since it was live-streamed. There were young families and children at the event, including Charlie’s own family. Think about the trauma that was brought to so many.
3. Charlie Kirk was not a politician, yet the attack was politically motivated, which highlighted the increasing political violence in our country. A country that is founded on freedom of speech, democracy, and the open debate of ideas.
4. Though the assassination was politically motivated, much of what Charlie voiced aligned with biblical values and speaking God’s truth. What got him killed were those truths, making him a martyr dying for his devotion to Christ.
5. His death was clearly a spiritual attack, viewing Charlie as a casualty in a spiritual battle for the souls of our nation. Charlie was shot just as he was speaking on mass shootings and transgender topics, a huge issue in our nation. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Ephesians 6:12
6. There was a noticeable and highly controversial phenomenon of people celebrating, mocking, or otherwise expressing satisfaction over his death. Making it even clearer that this was a spiritual battle.

I find it fitting that Turning Point USA has reported receiving tens of thousands of requests from high school and college students seeking to start a new chapter or join an existing one in the weeks following the assassination. There has also been an increase in church attendance. “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Genisis 50:20

The Future of our Nation

We do not know the long-term changes Charlie’s assassination will have on our nation. It remains to be seen if this initial reaction will translate into lasting increase in church attendance nationwide. However, I believe if we want to see change in our country, the church cannot be silent on political issues that contradict biblical truth. The challenge is not just to believe biblical truths, but to live and speak them without compromise.

The biblical call to be bold (Romans 1:16 and 2 Timothy 1:7) is a call to speak the truth of the Gospel, but it must always be exercised in love (Ephesians 4:15). Christian witness should be characterized by conviction, humility, and seeking the good of the listener. So this is what I am going to do from now on, and I will use this blog to do just that.

In my next blog post, I will talk about how Marxism is causing violence and division in our nation.