Charlie Kirk’s death has resonated among those who liked his ideas and those who didn’t. The reaction in church and secular circles has been huge. Many comments have been made. I’m going to add a few more.
Kirk was a Christian influencer. He was pointing people to Jesus and to the Judeo-Christian moral foundation upon which our nation was founded. Kirk was particularly effective. He directed his influence at college students. This is traditionally a difficult age to reach, but he dove right in. He would go wherever he could, even into the lion’s mouth. He had said his most hostile encounter was at Cambridge University in England, which felt like an ambush. He emerged from his battles like a cheerful warrior. He did the right thing in the right way, fighting bad ideas without tearing down the other person.
There are two main points I’d like to make.
1) Charlie Kirk was right not to separate evangelism from social concern.
He spoke clearly of his faith in Jesus Christ. He had orthodox belief. He knew that salvation was by grace.
He also believed that we should take action to improve society.
He combined evangelism (changing hearts) with social action (changing society). Some believe these two things should be separated. Those people are wrong. We should have a concern for individual souls and a concern for the common good that effects all people. These go together…indeed, how can they not? We should witness…and vote. We can do both.
Kirk was not the only one who knew that these two should be combined. Others like James Dobson (who recently died; I wrote about him a few weeks ago), and evangelists Franklin Graham and Greg Laurie are saying the same kinds of things.
Christians should be Christians all the time and in every area–wanting to change lives one by one but also making society better, with just laws that protect the weak and bringing law and order that benefits all people.
2) Each individual should internalize what is good and right within themselves.
There is a temptation to farm out the hard stuff, to let people like Charlie Kirk fight the battles while we rest easy.
Since Kirk’s death there appears to be a surprising wave of interest in church and God among young people. Some have predicted that his death will spark a revival. I hope so.
But I’m also aware that revivals come and go. Think of the 2023 Asbury revival. Or the Promise Keepers Movement, which was very strong among men in the 1990’s but has waned.
Movements and revivals come and go. It seems they have great influence for a time, almost like a boulder falling into a lake which makes a splash, but then the ripples gradually dissipate. What then? Wait for the next revival? Hope that God raises up another influencer?
No, something better: actualize God’s truth in the heart of every Christian person and put it into action.
The only way to make the change continue over the long term is for Christians at large to be fueled by the Holy Spirit within and the Bible without, carrying the empowerment of God wherever they go for as long as they live.
And this, I’m sure, is the goal of every Christian revival and every influencer–to see the change decentralized and out into the hearts of whole congregation.
Charlie Kirk was a worthy servant of God. But rather than look for ‘the next Charlie Kirk’ to fight the battles and do the hard thing, we should be looking into our own hearts, making changes, being courageous, serving Christ even when it costs us something.
Once Moses was told by Joshua that some men were prophesying outside a designated group. Joshua thought Moses might be upset, perhaps wondering if he thought it might weaken his authority. But far from being upset, Moses was glad, even joyful. He said to Joshua, “Are you jealous for my sake? I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put his Spirit on them!” (Numbers 11:29). Moses reflected God’s desire to see the fire spread out to all, not just stay concentrated in a few.
We must not farm out our spiritual responsibilities to experts or influencers. God’s power and truth, which is always present, must be internalized in the heart of the individual. If this will happen, just think of the change that can happen in our country and the world.