[First published in The Federalist.]
Assassinated because of his Christian beliefs, which underpinned his political ones, Charlie Kirk was known for his engagement in religious and political debates across the country. He went onto countless college campuses and put himself in uncomfortable and risky situations because of his great love for other people and his country.
Kirk demonstrated that a loving approach for a Christian doesn’t have to take only one form. It doesn’t need to take the form of a soft-spoken, timid believer who just wants to go about his daily life and mind his own business. In fact, Paul wrote in Philippians, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility, consider others better than yourselves, and look not only to your own interests but also to the interests of others.”
Furthermore, the command not to be quarrelsome does not mean that believers cannot engage in debate about serious matters. Kirk understood this. Christians can and should be bold and courageous, speaking out against evil and standing up for what is right and true.
Many martyrs for the Christian faith have been killed precisely because they spoke out in this way and did not keep to themselves. John the Baptist, for example, was imprisoned and then ultimately beheaded because he criticized King Herod Antipas’ marriage to his brother’s wife, Herodias. Like Charlie Kirk, he spoke out against what was wrong and did not mind his own business.
Why did he do this? Because he loved well. Loving well means willing the good of the other. It is good for people to know the truth. That is their only hope of happiness, of comfort, and of freedom and eternal life. How we package the truth matters, and we should do so with humility, gentleness, and patience — but tell it, we must.
What about the anger that so many people are experiencing over the assassination of this man? Are we allowed to be angry as Christians? Jesus showed anger when he drove the merchants from the temple, when he saw the religious leaders’ hardened hearts, and when the disciples tried to keep children from him. God the Father shows anger repeatedly in the Scriptures over human sin and disobedience. Even the Psalms speak of God’s anger and wrath.
The Bible commands, “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” It does not say, “Do not be angry.” So yes, we Christians can be angry at sinful behaviors. We can hate sin without hating sinners. We can discuss the assassination of Charlie Kirk with passion. We are not more spiritual if we distance ourselves from emotions that reflect an accurate understanding of sin and reality, or if the words we speak sound pleasant to the ear but are empty and void of truth.
The truth is that we are in a dark time in America. Murder has become the answer to debate. Reason, logic, and truth often seem lost. And darkness seeks to intimidate Christians into silence. But we were “not given a spirit of timidity, but of power, of love, and of self-discipline.” This is not our eternal home, but while we live in it, we should seek to better it. We will not give up the spiritual fight, and we will not give in to the intimidation of this world because we know Christ and the power of his resurrection. We know to whom we belong and that our purpose is to serve those around us, speaking the truth in love.
Charlie Kirk humbly considered others and looked to their interests. We must carry on his legacy.
