Charlie Kirk would have loved the service in his honor that took over an entire football stadium in Glendale, Arizona this past Sunday. You didn’t have to watch for very long to discover that it was a unique blend of a memorial service and a Spirit-led tent revival. During the course of the service, Charlie was honored for the lives that he touched, for his commitment to his Christian faith, and for his passion for speaking truth into the lives of thousands of young people around our country and the world. And many speakers during the course of the service remembered Kirk’s years of work dedicated to building Turning Point USA, an organization dedicated to helping young people embrace Judeo-Christian values that we hold dear.
As Erika Kirk stepped up to the mic, she quoted scripture and wiped tears from her eyes as she offered compassion to 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, the man authorities have charged with murdering her husband. Here is what she said:
“On the Cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.’ And I forgive that young man because that is what Christ did and what Charlie would do.” I’m pretty sure that we all heard the applause as she publicly forgave her husband’s assassin. She continued by saying: “My husband, Charlie, wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life,” and to get “young people pointed in the right direction.” And she implored all of us to counter hate with love, which is just what Jesus stressed throughout His ministry.
Erika Kirk called on men and women to prioritize faith and family, highlighting how important both were to her husband. She called on every man watching the event to “…accept Charlie’s challenge and embrace true manhood. Be strong and courageous for your family. Love your wives and lead them. Love your children and protect them. Be the spiritual head of your home, but please be a leader worth following.”
And she didn’t stop at addressing just men, as she continued encouraging women and wives to lead their families with dignity and grace, and to be “virtuous” women. And she continued by saying that “…wives are not servants or slaves, but helpers to their husbands, not rivals, working together for the glory of God.” Wow! She spoke truth powerfully and directly from God’s Word.
I believe that a new chapter of American history was unveiled last Sunday at the Memorial Service. Why? It’s because some of the most powerful men and women in our country, both elected and appointed officials, gave glory to God by sharing their own testimony of faith. I am not aware of any other Secretary of State in our history who has done this, but Marco Rubio did. I am not aware of any other Director of National Intelligence in our history who has done this, but Tulsi Gabbard did. I am not aware of any other Secretary of Defense in our history who has done this, but Pete Hegseth did. And I am not aware of any other Vice President in our history who has done this, but J.D. Vance did! And let’s not forget about journalist Tucker Carlson who said, “The main thing about Charlie and his message is that he was doing the thing that the people in charge hate most, which is calling for them to repent…and that is the only change that really matters.”
We have all witnessed a unique moment in history last Sunday. It was something monumental and it was certainly the largest and most direct proclamation of the gospel the world has ever seen. I was amazed to hear the report that there was over “100 million views of the event or clips of the event in the first 24 hours.” I know that many of us, including myself, are praying that Charlie’s memorial service will be the catalyst for national repentance and revival in our churches and in our own lives.
Finally, during the service they played a clip of some of Charlie’s last words when asked the question, “How do you want to be remembered?’ Charlie replied, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith; that would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.” And it should be that for every follower of Christ. Remember, the Apostle Paul said,
“For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).
We always tend to focus on the “to die” part of this verse, but Paul was saying that if you want to wrap up my entire life, it’s about “living for Christ,” and only Him, and that should be the passion of every follower of Christ.
Each of us should consider our lives to be “on mission” by sharing Jesus wherever He leads us. As a result of Charlie’s Memorial Service, many seeds have been planted in people’s lives that now need to be watered and nurtured. Let’s be bold in taking opportunities to inject Jesus into conversations with those around us. We need to seize this moment in history to be extra vigilant to live and share Jesus with all whom we meet.
May the Lord bless each of you this week, and I hope that you will have many opportunities to share with others about what Christ has meant in your life.
