Charlie Kirk and the Current Reality

When I sent my kids to school the day after the murder of Charlie Kirk, I told them not to speak about it at school. My warning (about not discussing politics at school) has been uttered many times over the years. Conservatives have to be careful in public schools – teachers, students, and administrators. It is the state of the world in which we live. I see it. We all see it. In fact, we live it.

A good friend texted me Wednesday morning, and asked if I had seen what happened to Charlie. When he told me the rest of the news, I sat in car…stunned. What has our world come to?

Man, I am just so thankful for Charlie Kirk. He is my kind of person. He relished debate. He wasn’t afraid of tough conversations. I think he genuinely cared for the people who were questioning him. I also think that the truth he was speaking ran directly in the face of mainstream progressive ideology. He was pro-family. He promoted traditional marriage. He was pro-life. He proclaimed openly that he followed Jesus, and that Jesus was the Son of God. He was charismatic. His campus presence during the 2024 Presidential election likely delivered the White House to Republicans. He had become an irresistible force in American politics.

One of the last things that Charlie Kirk did was to draw awareness to the brutal death of Iryna Zarutska. She was the Ukrianian refugee who came to America to escape war and find freedom. Instead, she was slaughtered for nothing! Not only was she murdered, but bystanders stood by and watched her die. According to Ben Shapiro, it took one minute and 35 seconds before anyone intervened. Charlie had had enough of that passivity.

Honestly, I have written today’s article, and rewritten it many times both on my screen and in my head. Where do I even start? We now live in a country where political violence has become the norm, and where conservative Christians are hunted. I really have to hold my tongue when I hear the following, “Both the Left and conservatives need to refrain from violence.” Uh, no. This violence is a one way street.

When George Floyd was killed, entire downtowns of unrelated cities were burned. Innocent shopkeepers were beaten on live TV. And why were they beaten? They were simply trying to protect their businesses which had taken a lifetime to build. In short, thousands upon thousands of innocent people across this nation were punished for the mistake of a single, rogue police officer in Minnesota. Does that sound like justice to you?

Conversely, when the leading young voice of the Republican Party was gunned down in cold blood this week…vigils were held and not riots. The Conservative side called for calm. As of this writing, no reprisals have occurred. The communist progressive movement and the conservative movement are not the same. To equate the two is blatantly dishonest. There is a giant chasm between the emotions of heartbreak and hatred. Conservatives so far have chosen heartbreak and righteous anger. Charlie Kirk wouldn’t have wanted violence. We honor his memory with those peaceful vigils.

So, where do we go from here? We can no longer pretend that violence is not being directed at conservative Christians. A woman was widowed and young children were left fatherless simply because their husband and dad had differing political opinions.

I suggest that you read an article by Mario Murillo. He is a minister, and it is brilliantly written. He states…

And finally, this is the biggest question for us: What is the role of the American church in this war? Surely it is not business as usual. It can’t be more silence in the pulpit and disunity among believers.

Can we look in the eyes of our children and explain our passivity to them? We are not the military. Our battle is not with flesh and blood.

I posted this verse on the same morning before Charlie’s death. It is Joshua 1:9….

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid;do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Charlie went out with his boots on. He was strong and courageous. In some ways, he reminded me a lot of Elijah. Bold, unceasing, and sometimes playfully taunting those who came to misrepresent his beliefs. Charlie Kirk believed conservative Christian ideas could win when placed into the court of public discourse. He was unlocking prison doors. I know Charlie wasn’t Jesus, nor was he any kind of Messiah. But I always enjoyed seeing him sit in his chair while surrounded by thousands wanting to stump him. He seemed to relish the moment.

When Charlie died, many of his enemies celebrated. May we all be such a problem for our enemies, that they are thankful when we are gone. As FDR noted, “I ask you to judge me by the enemies that I have made.”

The often unshakeable Donald Trump broke down and wept while noting, “He could have been President one day.” I agree with the President. Charlie would have been a unifier, because he listened.

Rest in peace Charlie. Our world is lesser today without you in it. May your life inspire us to boldly proclaim the truth. May the men among us follow your example and stand between false teaching and our families. To quote Kash Patel, “Rest easy, Charlie. We have the watch now.”

Prologue: Political violence has no place among us. If at any point you read this blog and think that violence is the answer, you couldn’t be more wrong. What I hope you do take away from this blog is that silence in the face of false teaching(when called to speak) is wrong. I do recognize that Jesus stood silently at times during His last moments before his accusers – there is indeed a time to be silent. But Jesus also turned over tables and spoke directly to the Pharisees and Sadducees many times. In fact during His “woes talk,” Jesus referred to them as serpents and vipers. Jesus wasn’t just some wallflower. Challenging strongholds which protect falsehood is not for the faint of heart. But if we don’t speak, we risk our own children be drawn in by their siren.

Truth will ultimately prevail where pains are taken to bring it to light. ~ George Washington