Today marks one year since Charlie Kirk’s murder.
I’m sure we can all remember where we were when we first heard the news—first that he was shot, then of his tragic death. It truly was one of the darkest days in recent American history.
Charlie Kirk was a uniquely gifted communicator, using his platform to educate, challenge, and even preach the gospel. He was bold and fearless. Tragically, he was murdered in front of millions in cold blood. There is no getting away from that heartbreaking truth.
Conservatives lost a talented voice. Christians lost a faithful evangelist. But most painfully, his family lost a loving son, brother, father, and husband.
Charlie Kirk and the First Martyr
When I think of Charlie, I’m reminded of another man who died so young (Charlie was just 31 years old). Stephen, the first martyr of the early church.
Stephen died boldly proclaiming the gospel. Scripture tells what led up to his stoning, and what happened during, “But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God, and said, ‘Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!’ . . . And they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.’ Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not charge them with this sin.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep” (Acts 7:55–56, 59–60 NKJV).
Fell asleep is an interesting phrase used in the New Testament to describe death for a believer. And I believe that when a Christian “falls asleep,” they go straight into the presence of God in Heaven.
When Stephen died, he went straight to Heaven. Charlie did too.
The moment we take our last breath on earth, we take our first breath in Heaven.
Charlie Had a Short, But Impactful Life
Corrie Ten Boom once said, “The measure of a life, after all, is not its duration, but its donation.” While Charlie had a short life, it was undoubtedly an impactful one. He ran his race well, as the apostle Paul would have put it.
“I’m nothing without Jesus,” Charlie Kirk once said. “I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God… I gave my life to the Lord… and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.” He also talked about wanting to be remembered for his faith. He said, “The most important thing is my faith.”
And that’s exactly what he was honored for at his memorial service at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. Thousands attended, including Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, and the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
There were so many stirring messages, but the most powerful moment came from Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk. Standing before thousands, she said the powerful words no one expected: “I forgive him.”
Grace was on full display as she forgave her husband’s killer. It was a powerful illustration of the gospel.
There Is a Time to Mourn
What has interested—and troubled—me is the reaction to Charlie’s death. Predictable trolls, and people who are simply evil, have celebrated it.
But for people who have hearts, it hurts. It’s personal because Charlie was part of our family—the family of God. Scripture reminds us that when one member suffers, we all suffer.
When Stephen was martyred, the Bible tells us that godly men mourned deeply over him. Stephen was already in Heaven, but that did not mean there was no place for grief.
There is a place for Christians to mourn.
We mourned a long time for our son Christopher, who was only 33 when he died. We should mourn Charlie too. And we should continue praying for Erika and their children. The Bible reminds us that there is “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (Ecclesiastes 3:4 NKJV).
What Happened After Stephen Died?
After Stephen’s death, something remarkable happened. Acts 8 tells us that “a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem,” scattering believers throughout Judea and Samaria.
That might sound like a bad thing, but God used it for good.
Jesus had already told His followers, “[Y]ou shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8 NKJV). But after Pentecost, the believers had largely remained together. They were staying in their little “holy huddle.”
It was the persecution that followed Stephen’s death that scattered them—and wherever they went, they preached the gospel.
God took a tragedy and used it to mobilize His church. Could He do something similar today?
This Is a Watershed Moment
Two months after Charlie was murdered, we went to the very campus where it happened—Utah Valley University—and held a Harvest Crusade. We saw many people—college students—give their lives to Jesus Christ.
I believe this is a watershed moment—a turning point, especially for the younger generation.
Young people, this is your moment. It’s time to stop trying to fit in and be cool. Instead, be bold and courageous. In fact, that may be the coolest thing you can do.
Charlie was bold about his faith to the very end, and so should we be.
Our reaction to Charlie’s death reveals something. It will rally the reluctant and reveal the complacent. Some will rise. Some will shrink. The faithful will rise. The lukewarm will fade.
Perhaps if we had more Charlies, we would see another spiritual awakening—just like the one I personally experienced during the Jesus Movement.
This could be your Jesus Revolution moment.
Will You Pick Up the Baton?
When Charlie spoke on college campuses, he had a very simple setup. He sat at a folding table and held a microphone. I see that microphone as a sort of baton, like the ones runners pass in a relay race.
Charlie carried it for his leg of the race. Now the question is: Will you pick it up?
Will you take the “microphone” and speak to your friends? Will you go into your world and preach the gospel? Will you stand for truth even when it isn’t popular?
Let’s reach this so-called “hopeless generation” with the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is the ultimate message they need.
That is one of the best ways you can honor the memory of this godly young man.
One Last Thought
There is one more detail about Stephen’s story that we shouldn’t miss.
On the day Stephen was murdered, one of the men standing there played a role in his death. His name was Saul—a young, rising Pharisee whose heart only grew harder as he hunted down followers of Jesus.
If you had seen Saul that day, you might have thought there was no hope for him.
But on the road to Damascus, Jesus Himself spoke to his hardened heart, and Saul believed. The man who helped persecute Christians became the apostle Paul, one of the greatest evangelists the world has ever known.
We know church attendance has gone up since Charlie’s death. We also know many people—especially young people—have come to believe in Jesus because of the impact of Charlie Kirk’s life. Maybe you’re one of those people.
Or maybe you’re reading this because you would like to have a relationship with God like Charlie did but haven’t yet given your life to Jesus Christ. If that’s true, pray this simple prayer:
Lord Jesus, I want to have a personal relationship with You. I know I am a sinner and I believe You died on the cross for my sins. I turn from those sins and put my faith in You right now to be my Lord and Savior, my God and Friend. Thank You for hearing this prayer. I pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.
