On Sept. 10, Charlie Kirk was assassinated, and since then, one question I’ve seen frequently online and something that I have wrestled with myself is this: Why do I, despite not knowing Charlie Kirk personally, feel his death so strongly?
It is a fair question. His movement was famous, yes, but it wasn’t known by everyone. Still, even many who had not followed Kirk or his organization Turning Point USA closely said that his death hit them unexpectedly hard. One social media user commented, “Brought out emotions I’ve never felt before for someone I don’t know. My spirit is very uneasy.”
Why does it feel to many people, including myself, like a close friend has died?
The best answer I have is this: Charlie Kirk embodied what it means to be an American. Yes, he was a patriot, but deeper than that, he represented a steadfast commitment to truth. He routinely walked into places where he was mocked and hated in order to spread that truth. So, while we grieve over a man, our souls grieve something more intense: an attack on the light Charlie carried.
Kirk was a champion of free speech and the open exchange of ideas, and was always willing to engage with those who disagreed with him. Most importantly, he debated with truth and love, never resorting to insults or violence, and he believed in the good of America, despite the bad.
Despite his fame and success, he was humble. He worked for what he had and built his own wealth. He was a family man, a husband, and a father to two young children.
Above all else, Charlie Kirk was a man of courage. The kind of courage you read about in storybooks and legends. Courage amidst attacks on truth, attacks on his faith, and ultimately, an attack on his life.
To me, Charlie Kirk was a personal hero. He carried a powerful light in a dark world and was a shining example of conservatism and faith in Jesus Christ. And through TPUSA, he was a leader to millions of young conservatives and Christians across the nation and around the globe.
In a June interview with Jack Selby, host of The Iced Coffee Hour podcast, Kirk was asked what he would want to be known for if he died.
“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith,” Kirk responded. “That would be the most important thing. The most important thing is my faith.”
Through Kirk’s videos and debates, I, along with countless other young Christians, learned how to defend my faith, morals and beliefs while honoring Christ’s greatest commandment to “love your neighbor as yourself.”
Kirk truly was a role model and leader to an entire generation, and I personally think he would have been President one day. If the founding fathers, when creating the office of the President, were to imagine a man most suitable for the role, I’d imagine they’d think of someone like Charlie Kirk. Someone who inspired a nation, who moved the hearts of his followers, and who was willing to die defending freedom and truth.
The devil celebrated when he took out Charlie. But now his plan is backfiring.
Satirical website The Babylon Bee posted after his death saying, “12 million Charlie Kirks born overnight.” Interestingly, that’s hardly even satire. It’s truth.
TPUSA currently has about 9,000 college chapters and 1,100 high school chapters.
Since Kirk’s death, TPUSA has received over 54,000 requests for new chapters. 54 thousand, and the number is growing every day. (Update: as of Sept. 24, two weeks after his death, TPUSA has received over 121,000 new chapter requests).
Kirk’s mission field is spreading rapidly, and on top of that, multitudes of people are coming to know Christ because of his death. Looking through social media, I’ve seen countless threads of thousands upon thousands of people commenting things such as “I’m returning to church for the first time in decades because of Charlie,” “I came to Jesus Christ because of Charlie,” “Purchasing my first Bible today,” and “Got my Bible out today, haven’t opened it in decades but I feel a spiritual awakening coming.”
Many prior atheists are commenting that they feel an inexplicable call to turn to God after Charlie’s death. And current Christians are being emboldened more than ever. One user commented, “I feel a fire ignited in my spirit more than ever, I feel a boldness to speak the truth no matter what! The enemy is trying to place fear in God’s people, but I will not be silent!”
One man died, and now millions are rising in his place to pick up the blood-stained microphone.
The devil overplayed his hand with this one. There is a shift happening in our country. Charlie’s message is now spreading like wildfire across college campuses, nations, and the entire world, further than it ever could have before. Truth is crying out in the open squares, from the highest points of the nation. And the devil cannot do anything to stop it.
After Charlie’s death, his wife Erika addressed the nation:
“You have no idea the fire you have ignited within this wife,” she said. “The cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battlecry. To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die.”
