Two weeks ago, a young man climbed onto a roof, sighted in his rifle, and assassinated a man whose only crime was wanting to engage others in polite discourse. On that day, shock waves swept across the nation, powerful leaders reeled, and college students wept openly. We all wondered how this could have happened. Since that day, a battle cry has risen… “I am Charlie Kirk.” It’s a worthy battle cry, but how do we actually make that happen? How do we truthfully say, “I am Charlie Kirk?” How do we make it more than just an inspirational saying that lasts for a few weeks?
My Search for Answers
I didn’t know much about Charlie Kirk before September 10, but I do now. Of course, I knew who he was, and I had listened to him several times. But since his death, I have watched hours of Charlie Kirk’s videos. I’ve watched in amazement at his grasp of every issue set before him. I’ve also been astounded at his uncanny ability to face blatant hostility and personal attacks while remaining calm and respectful.
Like millions of other Americans, on Sunday, I hurried home from church so I could watch the memorial for the fallen leader. The battle cry, “I am Charlie” kept running through my mind. But with that battle cry comes the question, “How do we make that happen?”
As I’ve thought about this over the past two weeks, and especially after Sunday’s memorial service, I came up with five things that, to me, exemplified Charlie Kirk’s life. Perhaps if we duplicate these five things, we can truthfully say, “I am Charlie”.
Charlie Kirk Lived a Life That Was Governed by Respect and Love for Others
As I’ve watched hours of Charlie Kirk’s videos, I’ve been amazed at the respect that he showed for those who not only disagreed with him but verbally attacked him. I can’t say that I would have shown so much restraint when attacked like he was. In fact, I know few people who could manage that feat.
During Sunday’s memorial service, Director Tulsi Gabbard recalled, “He showed respect and compassion for everyone, even those who opposed him. And I think especially for those who opposed him, he invited them to his table or on his show, saying, “Let’s talk.”
That was in front of the cameras. When you know the world is watching, you must be careful what you say and how you act. But with Charlie Kirk, it wasn’t just in public; he was the same in private.
Tucker Carlson recalls being critical of someone and Charlie replying, “That’s a sad person, That’s a broken person. That’s a person who needs help. That’s a person who needs Jesus.” Charlie Kirk was a person who treated other people with respect. But more than that, Charlie Kirk was someone who valued each person.
It was that respect and love for others that allowed him to face difficult questions and comments without being offended…to see beyond the hateful attitude to the lost person within.
Charlie Kirk Was Firm in His Convictions
Facing this kind of hostility, it might be easy to let some of your convictions slide. But while Charlie was willing to give up his microphone to listen to other people’s ideas, he stood firm in his own convictions.
Because of that Tulsi Gabbard could say, “Charlie stood in the arena armed with superior arguments, with truth, reason, propelled and motivated by his love for God, his love for others, his love for our great nation. His words were his weapons. He slayed ignorance. He cut through lies and he woke people’s minds, inspired people’s hearts, and imparted wisdom every day.”
To be like Charlie Kirk, we too need to be strong in our convictions. We need to know what we stand for. What are the things that we strongly believe in? What are the places where we draw the line in the sand and go no further?
Charlie held the line. He was firm in his convictions. He wasn’t willing to blur that line.
Charlie Kirk Was Prepared
While Charlie was firm in his convictions, he didn’t walk into the public arena unprepared. He did his homework. During Sunday’s memorial service Hillsdale College president Larry P. Arnn remembers asking a young Charlie Kirk some questions.
When Charlie was unable to answer them, he asked President Arnn what he should do. Arnn replied, “You have to suffer. If you want to grow, you have to suffer. It’s hard to learn. Into the night, crack of dawn in the morning. Start with the classics. Start with the Bible. Read the classics. Study the founding of America…You have to study. You have to think.”
Arnn remembers thinking he would never see Charlie again. But Charlie surprised him and took his advice. Eventually, Charlie went on to complete 31 Hillsdale College online courses and, in doing so, made his way to Arnn’s mental list of most inspiring young people….”the only one who was never a full-time student at Hillsdale College.”
Marco Rubio spoke of Charlie’s knowledge when he said, “He led this movement. But he did so with incredible knowledge. It’s unbelievable how much he knew. He was constantly expanding his horizons, but he just didn’t have knowledge. He had wisdom, an uncanny amount of wisdom for a man as young as he was. Wisdom that sometimes it takes a lifetime to accumulate. He had it in just 31 years.”
While Charlie could have become arrogant because of his abilities, he didn’t. He was willing to learn from others. Perhaps that is where he obtained some of that wisdom. He asked Frank Turek to be his mentor. Turek said, “The only thing that surpassed Charlie’s intellect was his humility.”
To be like Charlie, we are going to have to become educated. We are going to have to sharpen our mental skills by engaging in the public arena. It is not going to be easy. In fact, it will be hard. But if we are to be Charlie, this is what we must do.
Charlie Kirk Lived with His Eyes Fixed on Jesus and Eternity
While these three characteristics exemplified Charlie Kirk, there was much more to this man. In fact, Sunday’s memorial service revealed the real Charlie Kirk. Pete Hegseth described Charlie this way: “Charlie Kirk was a citizen who had the biblical heart of a soldier of the faith who put on every single day the full armor of God with a smile as the scriptures tell all Christ followers to do.”
Those who knew Charlie best recognized that Charlie lived with his eyes fixed on Jesus. Author and commentator Isabel Brown, who appeared with Charlie in one of his last public appearances, said, “He was so honed in on these last few days of his life on the coming of Christ and our responsibility as people of faith to honor Jesus and to speak love into a broken world and to bring people together and to heal the world.”
In his own words, Charlie at that same meeting in Central California said, “I’ll close with this and then we’ll do some questions and answer. We need to be very clear to preach Jesus Christ to a broken world. As I say, it’s the most important thing you can do. What is the second most important thing you can do? To make sure you could do the first thing. I spend my entire life on number two, and I spend some time on number one. As you could tell, I try to bring people to Christ every single day.”
There is no way we can be Charlie Kirk without living with our eyes fixed on Jesus, without having that personal relationship with Him that influences our entire being. This is what gave Charlie Kirk his courage, his purpose, his drive, and his strength. Charlie knew Jesus as his personal Savior, and he knew Him well. We cannot be Charlie Kirk without doing the same.
Charlie Kirk Answered His Calling
Finally, Charlie not only knew Jesus, but he answered His call. He moved beyond the safety of a normal life and entered the public arena. He exposed himself to the sarcasm, vitriol, and violence of a lost world so he could carry out what he believed God had called him to do. And he was more successful than anyone could have imagined.
Pete Hegseth said, “Charlie started a political movement but unleashed a spiritual revival.” …He died the way he lived, speaking the truth. Charlie waged war not with a weapon, but with a tent, a microphone, his mind, and the truth.”
In other words, Charlie recognized his calling and used the gifts God gave him to accomplish what looked impossible. Actually, from what I have read, Charlie Kirk leapt into the arena; he fearlessly sprang forward to embrace everything God had called him to do.
It reminds me of a verse that talks about the faith of Abraham. In Romans 4 in the Message Bible it says, “He didn’t tiptoe around God’s promise asking cautiously skeptical questions. He plunged into the promise and came up strong, ready for God, sure that God would make good on what he had said.”
We’ve Got to Find and Embrace Our Call
If we are to be like Charlie, we’ve got to find our calling and embrace it with all the enthusiasm Charlie exhibited. Our calling may not be political. It may be serving as a mentor to several fourth-grade boys. It may be serving as an usher in your church. If so, do what you are called to with as much enthusiasm as Charlie did. But while you work in your calling, remember to vote your biblical beliefs.
But there are some out there who do have a calling in the public arena. You may be like I’ve been, cautiously investigating without plunging into the arena. If so, I would challenge you, be like Charlie. Sure, we’ll make mistakes. We probably will make a fool of ourselves at least a couple of times. But I’m sure Charlie did too.
Some of you are Christians who have never stepped outside the safety of the church walls. You’ve fought this calling for months, you know God has called you into the public arena, but you don’t want to do it. You feel safe where you are. After all, none of your friends seem bothered about the political climate, so why should you.
In addition, you’re not sure how to walk the tightrope between showing the love of God and turning over the tables in the temple like Jesus did. What if you fail and aren’t the Christ-like example you want to be?
We Must Transform the Environment
But Charlie would say as he did in one of his last public appearances,
“It is incumbent on us as Christians to care about what happens outside of our walls. The most important thing is leading people to Jesus. I would say that once, I’ll say it a hundred times. But you should also care about what your city council does. You should care about what your town council does. You should care about what your member of Congress does. You should make the entire world look more like Jesus on earth as it is in heaven. And we’re going to fail. We’re going to fall short of the standard…It matters what we do outside of church. Jesus called us to be salt and light. What do salt and light have in common? They change the environments they come in contact with. They don’t conform. They don’t affirm. They transform what they come in contact with. My question for you, and we’ll close with this. Are you transforming the environment you come in contact with…”
And that is my question for you and for me….are we transforming the environment around us? It is easy to say, “I am Charlie Kirk” in the height of the emotion of the past two weeks. It’s a lot harder to make it happen. But I believe it’s worth it. I would challenge you, like I’ve been challenged with the words by Pete Hegseth on Sunday afternoon.
“Charlie Kirk, a warrior for country, a warrior for Christ. He ran the race. He finished the fight. Now it’s our turn. My charge to all of you, live worthy of Charlie Kirk’s sacrifice and put Christ at the center of your life as he advocated for, giving his.”
When we do that, we can truthfully raise our battle cry, “I am Charlie Kirk.”
Quotes from the memorial service can be found on videos available on tpusa.com