St. Carlo Acutis liked to say that “all people are born as originals, but many die as photocopies.” Charlie Kirk died as an original.
The heartbreaking news that a cowardly assassin cut Charlie Kirk’s life short on September 10 has had, and will likely continue to have, ripple effects throughout the days and weeks ahead. His assassination is truly tragic, and it leaves a wife without a husband, two kids without a father, and a nation without a true patriot.
Like many, I have watched countless videos of Charlie debating young high school and college students about issues of morality and religion. He rightly saw what was happening around many college campuses today, and he wanted those students to learn to embrace morality and to understand biological truths.
I daresay Charlie was one of the greatest debaters of our day. His skill, his patience, and his eloquence captivated audiences. When people opposed him, he spoke kindly but firmly. He listened to their point of view and explained his. He didn’t back down, but he did not denigrate people. He truly wanted to teach young kids the truth.
He often said that his faith was the most important thing in his life. And when faith is the most important thing in your life, you can’t help but share it with others. In fact, that is what Christ charged us to do. And Charlie Kirk did it well.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus told His disciples, “You will be hated by all because of my name, but whoever endures to the end will be saved.”
Charlie Kirk unapologetically lived his faith. He did so with courage, with conviction, and with joy. And he was hated for it, most especially by the man who killed him, but more broadly by those in society who perpetuate the belief that those who think differently than you should be vilified, persecuted, hated, and yes even killed. It is truly sickening to see posts from people who are rejoicing at Charlie’s murder.
Those who personally knew Charlie said he was kind, generous, loving, a doting husband and father, a champion for the vulnerable, and a fierce patriot. He loved this country, and he truly wanted to make it better. That’s why he dedicated his life to teaching young people the truth.
I remember watching a recent question-and-answer session with a young female student at the University of Tennessee and being so disgusted by this misguided young woman who couldn’t speak well or articulate her thoughts and who tried to argue why a woman should be able to kill her child in an abortion. Charlie patiently tried to reason with her. When she repeatedly stated that a baby is not a human being until he is born, Charlie attempted to explain biology, DNA, and the fact that a unique human being is created at the moment the sperm fertilizes the egg. But she dismissed these truths. They didn’t fit her narrative. He talked about the dehumanization of the preborn and went on to state that abortion is “worse” than the Holocaust because over 60 million babies have been killed by abortion just in the US alone. “Babies are a blessing,” he said. But she would hear none of it. She eventually walked away, likely having learned nothing of value.
This was just one of hundreds of videos that show Charlie’s resolve to change minds and hearts and to educate about what’s truly important in life. They are videos we should watch and continually share on social media and with the young people in our lives. Though Charlie is dead, we can help his voice live on.
So where do we go from here? It will be a while before the shock wears off. Honestly, I hope that it never does. We should feel appalled, disgusted, angry, and saddened by his murder, and we should allow these feelings to spur us to continue his mission, for this is not a time to mourn quietly. We must live as Charlie lived, constantly dialoging with people, even when it’s difficult. He had the moral courage to defend his faith, to defend the family, and to protect the vulnerable. So must we.
When a tragedy such as this happens, many people search for answers; they ask why. Or they may even try to blame God and ask why He lets bad things happen to good people. Some online trolls have even taunted, “Where is your God now?” God is always with us, but the truth is, we all have free will. And many have chosen to walk away from Him. Evil happens when we walk away from God, when we embrace immorality, and when we shut Him out of our lives. Evil happens when we tell God we have no use for Him. Evil took Charlie Kirk’s life.
Some have wrongly said that this is about gun violence. This isn’t about guns. It’s about hatred for anyone who stands against immorality, who dares to follow Christ, who believes in the sanctity of marriage, who works to protect the vulnerable, and who wants to impart these truths to others. It’s about a blatant disregard for life, and it’s about shutting someone up who has the moral courage to say and do what is right.
And it’s a warning that it could happen again.
This was about pure evil.
But evil doesn’t have to have the last word. In fact, we know it doesn’t. Christ’s resurrection assured us of that.
What we must do now is honor Charlie Kirk by creating something good from this tragedy. I firmly believe that Charlie would not want us to react with hatred and that he would want all of our actions to point us and everybody else to Christ.
This is a defining moment in time, and what we do now has the power to change hearts and minds. We have the responsibility to carry on Charlie’s legacy, to live our faith proudly, to continue to teach the truths he died for, and to help others see that all human beings are valuable, that nobody is expendable, and that the intentional taking of a life is a grave evil.
Charlie took up his cross, and he paid the ultimate price. Now it’s our turn.
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