Processing, Praying, and Practicing

Two weeks ago, I got the text from my sister in the family group chat: “Charlie Kirk died.”

First came shock.

Next came hope in God’s ability to use this for his glory.

Then heartbreak and anger.

I’ve been juggling all these emotions for the last two weeks. Underlying all of this has been an angst, which I can only describe as the weight of glory. I wholeheartedly believe that this world is not my home. I believe in eternity; I believe Charlie Kirk lived boldly for Jesus and is now enjoying eternity with Jesus. Charlie must have felt the weight of glory too. He received death threats on a weekly basis, but he refused to back down. He continued to share his Christian faith and the values that flow naturally from his faith, even though the world hated him for it. He was not foolish; he had a security team, and from what I’ve heard they were very good. But when it was suggested he move his campus events indoors, he refused because he wanted as many people as possible to be able to hear what he had to say.

But wasn’t Charlie Kirk primarily interested in politics?

I’ll be honest, this is sort of what I thought. I knew he was a Christian-I’d heard him talk a bit about his faith in Instagram reels and I was introduced to him by listening to apologist Frank Turek’s podcast “I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist.” It’s true that Turning Point USA was a primarily Conservative organization, not a religious one. However, since his death I have watched more complete videos of Charlie speaking, and I have realized that his faith was integral; he preached the gospel constantly. He even said that his Christian faith informed his convictions, but everything he believed could be explained by natural law. He said he would want to be remembered for his boldness and courage in faith.

But wasn’t Charlie Kirk misogynistic, racist, homophobic, and transphobic?

No. People tend to use these words when they don’t have a constructive, logical argument (sometimes the words apply, but not usually). These are called ad hominem attacks, and people spread these lies about Charlie because it fits a narrative they want to believe about someone who did not affirm their beliefs. I am not going to debunk all these claims here, as many others have done the leg work already-links to their videos will be posted at the end.

But should Christians really be this engaged in politics?

Yes, they should. Take a look at my last post for a more thorough response to this.

…Then came Sunday, September 14. Many people went to church (some for the very first time!) expecting their pastor to talk about the death of Charlie Kirk. I believe Christians and seekers were hoping to see how the church would respond to the assassination of a very public Christian man who made a regular practice of speaking boldly about his faith. Many people were disappointed when their pastors did not mention the death of Charlie Kirk (or maybe just made nonspecific comments). I was among these people. I feel a fire deep in my bones and was hoping my church leaders would feel this way too. I wanted to see them mobilize the congregants to be bold and to share the gospel with others in their lives who are starting to ask questions.

I started to see people talking about leaving their churches because their pastor did not talk about Charlie Kirk. I do not recommend this. Apologist Alisa Childers wrote a beautiful post about this; the gist of it was that pastors are dealing with many other things, including counseling people in the church, doing funerals, officiating weddings, and handling day-to-day business of the church. Just because they didn’t mention Charlie Kirk doesn’t mean they are “people pleasing.” However, it might be worth asking why your pastor didn’t mention Charlie Kirk. Is he afraid of offending or turning people away? Or does he want to show that the Gospel is true regardless of what is going on in culture?

I know being a pastor is an incredibly difficult job. I would not want to do it. However, I see the fear of man prevailing among many pastors and church leaders. They do not want to be associated with Trump politics or considered to be too political in general. I hear stories of churches deciding to stop addressing issues such as abortion and LGBT for these reasons. I wonder, though, how pastors expect church members to go out and speak boldly in the public square if they are afraid to speak boldly at church.

Should politics be regularly preached in church then? No, that’s not what I’m saying. Abortion and LGBT are attempts to thwart God’s perfect design; they are acts of rebellion against God’s creation. Pastors should talk about these issues when the text demands it and should not avoid texts that demand it. Pastors need not make Charlie Kirk’s assassination central to their preaching, either. However, I believe pastors should openly discuss Charlie’s life and death, and here’s why:

• Charlie Kirk lived and died for his faith, something all Christians should be willing to do (“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21)
• He integrated his faith into all aspects of his life
• He traveled to 50-100 college campuses each year and preached the Gospel to many thousands of young adults since his organization started in 2013 (when he was 18 years old)
• His death has sparked an increase in hateful, anti-Christian propaganda
• His death has also led to a massive increase in people going to church, reading the Bible, and asking questions about Christianity

I believe Charlie Kirk’s death can be a “turning point.” But if churches don’t really acknowledge the impact of his death, then it’s just another sad event. Christians, if we want revival we need to be revived. We need to pray and fast. We need to share our faith. We need to preach the Gospel. And we need to let the Word of God permeate every aspect of our lives.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of trust, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly as I ought to speak (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Resources:

Why I DEEPLY Respect Charlie Kirk (From Mike Winger) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxVxkuoKW_Y

DID CHARLIE KIRK CALL PEOPLE MEAN NAMES? YES! HERE's PROOF with Dr. Thaddeus Williams | Shed & Beam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASc5GoH2UB8&t=15s

Debunking The Worst Lies About Charlie Kirk | Live Free with Josh Howerton (Topic starts at 55:20) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvAfoFvub50

They Called Him a Fascist. But Do They Even Know What It Means?|With Dr. Bernard Mauser (From Melissa Dougherty) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1PONvZMajY