Ming Chen
Charlie Kirk’s death felt surreal. I did not watch much of his material but I knew that he was a good and charitable conservative debater with whom I agreed on much. From clips that resurfaced after his death, I learned that he was a Christian who spoke of Christ unashamedly.
Kirk left behind a wife and two children and we all felt devastated. Then came the commentaries and reflections on his death. I read a few, but the best response I found was Glen Scrivener’s.
Scrivener reflects on the reasons why he found Kirk’s murder so devastating. One reason was that Kirk was only 31 and in his prime. He left behind a wife and two young children. His wife published a video after his death that showed their daughter on his knee. Kirk was telling her about how her parents met.
Another reason was that Kirk was a debater. He did not incite or perpetrate violence; he lauded free speech. The murderer replied not with words but a bullet in Kirk’s throat, causing instant death and permanent silence.
I found Scrivener’s most compelling reason was that Kirk’s story mirrored a greater, more tragic story. This story is the story of Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus said that He was “the Truth” (John 14:6, all references from ESV), with all the emphasis on the definite article. Jesus states that “[God’s] word is truth”. (John 17:17)
Contrast this with Satan, who is called a “liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44). Significantly, during Jesus’ trial, He states that, “For this purpose I was born…to bear witness to the truth,” (John 18:37), to which jesting Pilate, the arch-sceptic, replied “What is truth?” (John 18:38).
Jesus was crucified because He spoke the truth. As Scrivener states in his video, “We are the sorts of people who silence the truth.” Jesus, in truth, pronounced scathing woes on the scribes and Pharisees. (Matthew 23:1–36) Jesus, in truth, tenderly called “all who labor and are heavy laden” to come to Him. (Matthew 11:28–30) We silenced Him because we hated His words of truth.
I acknowledge that that Charlie was not a perfect man – only Jesus is. But Kirk became a good man because he followed a good Saviour. Kirk was a disciple of Jesus and Jesus said to all His disciples, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.” (John 15:18)
The same evil and truth-silencing attitude that killed Jesus killed Kirk. It killed many men who spoke boldly for the truth before Kirk, and it will kill many after. Kirk’s death was so impactful because it was an echo of a more tragic death for which we, who naturally hate the truth, are all responsible.
I have one further reflection. We are to be bold. Martin Luther declared, “If I profess with loudest voice and clearest exposition every portion of the truth of God except that little point that the world and the Devil are at that moment attacking, I am not confessing Christ, however boldly I may be professing Christ.”
All truth is God’s truth: that babies in wombs have intrinsic rights and that Christ rose from the dead – both find their source in the God of truth. If we do not defend Christianity where it is most assailed, then we are abdicating our responsibility as followers of Jesus. But from where should this boldness come?
I do not deny that many non-Christians speak boldly for the truth. I am grateful for them. But if we are to properly contend for the truth, we must be followers of Jesus, who is the capital "T" Truth. Truth makes sense in relation to God’s character as revealed in His Word.
To elaborate, abortion is murder because babies, among whom Christ was once counted, are made in the image of God. Homosexuality is wrong because it twists the great love story of Christ dying for His church. (Ephesians 5:25–27)
If you do not have this hope and a proper Biblical context with which to battle against wrong ideologies, then I urge you to trust in Christ. Christless conservatism may cause societal good, but it does no good to care for the physical lives of babies or the confused minds of gender-dysphoric youth without caring for their eternal souls.
Additionally, Kirk’s death awakened many to the reality that preaching normal Christianity may cause you to lose your life. Yet, the instinctive reaction to his death by so many was not to shirk back and be silenced. Many vowed to take up Kirk's fallen, bloodied microphone.
Personally, Kirk’s death encouraged me to start writing again; I had published a few articles with the BFD last year, but stopped.
The alternative to being silent causes a slow, subtle compromise. The man who mumbles the truth or is ashamed of it will soon have eroded his soul through subtle compromise to the extent that he will soon not know what the truth is.
I think it is appropriate to mention all of the above in light of Kirk’s death. Some may consider it to be a particularly preachy, overly Christian view of the issue. I do not think so.
Kirk was a Christian, and he would have happily agreed what I said above. It is fit and proper to honour God’s people with reference to what God says in His Word.
I will end by quoting four lines from a wonderful hymn: “Let the world despise and leave me; They have left my Saviour, too… Go then, earthly fame and treasure! Come, disaster, scorn, and pain!".1 This song belonged to Charlie Kirk, who has no need to sing it anymore because his battle is finished and his rest is won. It belongs presently to every Christian this side of the vale of tears.
1 https://hymnary.org/text/jesus_i_my_cross_have_taken_all_to_le
