While gentle, humble, fiercely bold and courageous, Charlie Kirk possessed a wisdom that could articulate a point of view that cost him his life. Much like another martyr with similar characteristics. ◊
With the killing of conservative Christian activist, Charlie Kirk, this week in Utah, the world is once again horrified by an act of evil violence.
With the alleged sniper killer found today, the news cycle is set for weeks and months with discussions on who, what, when, where, why, and how.
The Common Reactions
Reactions from both sides of the political spectrum are expected and mystifying in some cases. Many are shocked, unsettled, and sad. Shocked by the sudden horror before their eyes. Unsettled by the blatant brutality of the act. And sad for his now widowed wife and young family.
Some people are angry, confused, and suspicious. Angry at the loss of what Kirk represented and impacted, now and over time. Confused by the escalation of cultural violence. And suspicious, once again, of who and what is behind this and the emerging explanation that needs to be sorted out.
And finally, there are those harsh opponents of Charlie Kirk, and all he stood for, who actually celebrated his death. In many cases, even they were shut down by peers who had some level of human respect and dignity.
The Common Narrative
Curiously, there is always a common storyline or narrative that begins to emerge. The killer is an isolated, lone individual, disgruntled over social/political/religious causes, lashing out against a representative of an opposing view.
This all makes sense when one considers the extreme reaction by an even quasi-unstable person. Add access to guns and the cultural “hate” rhetoric repeated throughout social media and by big media pundits, and the setting is ripe for an outbreak of violence like this.
“It was bound to happen,” some may say.
The evidence, the story, and the timeline will stack up, the “blue ribbon” investigation will confirm the narrative, we will honor the dead, and then we will all move on.
But the target object has been removed. “Mission accomplished”, or so says the skeptic.
The Recurring Theme
Any person from the Boomer generation will have seen this narrative played out over a lifetime of other assassinations and assassination attempts of influential leaders:
- John F. Kennedy assassination, 1963 – lone gunman, Lee Harvey Oswald
- Malcolm X assassination, 1965 – gunmen, Black Muslims
- Martin Luther King assassination, 1968 – lone gunman, James Earl Ray
- Robert F. Kennedy assassination, 1968 – lone gunman, Sirhan Sirhan
- Ronald Reagan attempted assassination, 1981 – lone gunman, John Hinckley
- Donald Trump attempted assassinations, 2025 – lone gunmen, Thomas Crooks, Ryan Routh
Only the naive and uninformed take it all in and believe it at face value. Conspiracy theorists will see patterns, motives, and outcomes that reveal power, plans, sophistication, collaboration, and money.
Christian wisdom will see corrupted human nature, evil, and sin. And its solution.
A Biblical Martyr
In the New Testament, we read of another martyr, like Charlie Kirk, killed for what he so well-articulated before his enemies. In ACTS Chapters 6 and 7, we’re told of the raising up and then murder of Stephen, a good, wise, and faithful deacon/servant of the early Christian church.
Stephen is brutally murdered in the midst of a Jewish leadership council’s interrogation of him on trumped up charges of blasphemy against Moses and God.
But they could not stand up to the wisdom the Spirit gave him. (see Acts 6:8-10)
What did Stephen say that so upset his Jewish opponents? For 52 verses, Stephen gives the council a profound Jewish history lesson (see Acts 7:2-53). He finishes with a flourish:
“You stiff-necked people! [incidentally, the same term God used for the stubborn historical Hebrews.] Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him [Jesus Christ]—you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”
With Stephen’s strong concluding punchline, the Jewish leaders were enraged. He had no fear though:
When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him…. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:54-60)
Stephen and Charlie Kirk
Stephen was but a man. As was Charlie Kirk. However, both men modeled Christ-like characteristics and voiced the solution to our human plight. Stephen is memorialized in the Bible as the first Christian martyr. Both men, while gentle and humble, were fiercely bold and courageous, and both possessed a wisdom that could articulate moral clarity, Biblical truth, and Godly wisdom in relevant context.
Though this boldness ultimately cost them their life, they died fearless in the light and knowledge of who they were and who was their God.
An amazing testimony of amazing men.
Are you as gentle, bold and courageous as Stephen and Charlie Kirk?
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Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people. Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia—who began to argue with Stephen. But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke. – Acts 6:8-10
Categories: Abundant Living, Calling, Devotion, Discipleship, Evidence, Evil, Faith, Family, Fathering, Forgiveness, Israel, Jesus, Manhood, Marketplace, Old Testament, Parenting, Prayer, Purpose, Theology
The Charlie Kirk Effect (vis a vis Jesus) 
The Question of Jesus 
Biblical Viewpoint 
It has been painfully obvious for a while that acts of domestic terrorism are not equally balanced across the political spectrum. One side has been openly advocating gun violence against the other side, and openly mocks them when violence occurs. They even call for violence against their own if anyone breaks from the party line they believe in. This is apparently what has happened yet again. Stephen was murdered because he preached the gospel of Christ, which was apolitical. In fact, Jesus repeatedly resisted pressure to weigh in on politics. He also never gained popularity by disparaging people that society views as “less than”. The Good Samaritan is a case in point where He in fact did the opposite, as Samaritans were looked down upon by the Jews. Not to mention winebibbers, prostitutes, etc. Thus, I would not put Charlie in the same category as Stephen.
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Harry, in the classic sense, Charlie Kirk was martyred for a cause, as was Stephen. Stephen countered the Jewish religious order of his day, which was actually very political. The risen Christ and growth of Christianity was a threat of upheaval of Judaism, and the status quo life under Roman authority. The keepers of the order could not have that. On top of that, Stephen boldly called out their own murderous guilt to their face. The powers in control, in their rage, tried to snuff it out. But you can’t snuff out truth. Christianity exploded across the region and throughout the Romans empire, as we see through every chapter of ACTS after this event.
Charlie Kirk preached the full gospel of Jesus Christ, that same Jesus that Stephen honored and held up to the opposition. Jesus was not about only love and justice for all, but a call to repentance and obedience to the God of Creation. In doing so, as all Christians should, Kirk spoke out in love and grace to all – the high and mighty as well as those that are “less than” – about Jesus and Godly truth. He called out things which stand and move against Jesus and Christian truth, and therefore touched what is social and political. As we should realize, in Christ, acceptance of outright sin is not truth but compromise. God judges, not us; but we can point out a better way, in love. Charlie Kirk did that boldly, tactfully, and without fear. He faced an opposition that would not have it. In their rage, as with Stephen, they tried to snuff it out. They succeeded this week.
But, again, you can’t snuff out truth. In that sense, we can put Charlie Kirk and Stephen in the same category.
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This might be your best one. Thanks Mike.
Sad week.
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