In one horrifying instant, Charlie Kirk went from “right-wing activist” and “far-right firebrand” to American hero and martyr for Christ. Nobody can ever take that from him now.
The assassin meant to silence this gentle soul as he engaged in friendly debate on a college campus.
The goal: stop the movement Charlie was leading and the truth he was speaking. Instead, that bullet woke a sleeping giant. We will not be silent.
Charlie’s voice and ideas will now be magnified beyond anything the world has seen in my lifetime. By giving his life for “God, family, and country, in that order,” as he was so fond of saying, Charlie officially earned his place in history.
Americans of all political persuasions are now coming together to pray and sing hymns. All over the nation, in small towns and big cities, candlelight vigils are bringing decent Americans from across the spectrum together in singing Amazing Grace.
Our community is no exception. The day after he was murdered, Grace Community Church in Ormond Beach was packed as elected officials, local pastors, and the community came together to honor and celebrate Charlie’s memory.
Several of his friends, including this writer, TPUSA Faith Florida Director Pastor Seth Tweedale, and Pastor Paul Blair (Charlie called him one of the most important pastors in America), shared stories about Charlie’s love and his efforts to save America. The place was packed.
We reminisced about how Charlie impacted each of our lives and how we could carry his legacy. Asked at the end to stand up if they were ready to carry Charlie’s torch by getting involved in a more serious way, virtually everybody jumped to their feet.
The next day, hundreds of leaders and citizens gathered to walk the Granada bridge in Charlie’s honor. They shared stories about how Charlie’s heroic efforts impacted them. There was hardly a dry eye in the crowd. And for good reason: This was a national tragedy.
There are, of course, some celebrating this murder, rejoicing that Charlie’s precious wife Erika and his two loving children have now lost him. But even this sickness and hate is contributing to the ongoing national awakening. What the enemy meant for evil, God is already using for good.
Unlike so many famous leaders, Charlie was the real deal. I was blessed to get to know him over the last few years, even serving as the keynote speaker at several of his events. In fact, the day he was brutally murdered, I was waiting for a response from him to a note I sent the night before.
In the last in-depth discussion I had with Charlie, he joined my show to discuss the threats he saw to America and liberty. When I asked him to describe those threats, his answer was as chilling as it was prescient: “The threat is demonic at its core.” Asked about the solution, he was clear, too: We must deal with education.
Charlie walked the walk. He loved even those who hated him, and he wanted what was best for them. He loved his wife and his children more than anything in the world. He loved his country, too. Those will be major parts of his legacy.
But when asked in an interview this summer how he wanted to be remembered when he died, Charlie did not hesitate. “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” he said. Charlie was always pointing people to God. It is what he lived for.
One of his final posts on social media before going into eternity was, in retrospect, quasi-prophetic: “Jesus died so you can live.” This message — love God, love people, repent, and trust in Christ — was his top priority. It is why he was willing to give his life. America needs to hear this loud and clear.
As the Babylon Bee put it in its headline, “World deemed unworthy of Charlie Kirk.” It’s ironic, perhaps, that the most compelling and honest headline about this unimaginable tragedy came from a Christian satire site.
Charlie’s death will not be in vain. Let it be a reminder to us all: open debate, not violence, is how Americans and all civilized people settle their differences. Let us each embrace our families, our neighbors, and our faith. Let this be a Turning Point for America.
Rest in Peace, Charlie. We are all Charlie Kirk now.
