The assassination of Charlie Kirk left many Americans stunned, angry, and grieving. For those who loved him, admired his courage, or relied on his voice in the public square, the loss feels personal and almost unbearable.
Christians face a sharper question: How do we respond to the killer who took his life?
Forgiveness does not excuse evil. It does not mean the legal system should look away. It does not erase grief. But it does keep hatred from having the final word.
The human heart cries out for justice. We want the killer to feel the pain he caused. Scripture acknowledges that longing. In Psalm 13, David pleads, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” It is a lament, an honest cry from a wounded soul. God hears that anger.
Yet in Gethsemane, Christ redirected such impulses. When Peter lashed out and cut the high priest’s servant’s ear, Jesus stopped him: “No more of this!” (Luke 22:51) He healed the man who had come to help arrest Him. The cycle of vengeance broke under His touch.
That choice now confronts us.
At Charlie’s memorial in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday, his widow, Erika, gave a stunning example of what it means to walk that path. Standing before thousands, she said through tears:
My husband, Charlie, he wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life. … That young man — I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do.
She added, “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love — love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
Erika refused revenge: “I do not want that man’s blood on my ledger. Because when I get to heaven, and Jesus is like: ‘Eye for an eye? Is that how we do it?’ And that keeps me from being in heaven, from being with Charlie.”
Her words challenge us: If the wife of a murdered man can forgive, why not us?
Forgiveness does not excuse evil. It does not mean the legal system should look away. It does not erase grief. But it does keep hatred from having the final word. Christians are called to stand apart from the world’s rage.
That calling is not easy. On our own, it is impossible. But through the Spirit of Christ, we can echo His command: “No more of this.” We entrust justice to God while extending the mercy we ourselves received.
RELATED: Why Charlie Kirk’s murder feels personal — even if you never met him
Paul’s life proves that no sinner is beyond reach. Before his conversion, Saul approved of Stephen’s stoning and hunted Christians (Acts 8:1). By every human measure, he was an enemy of the church. Yet Christ met him on the Damascus road and transformed him into the apostle who carried the gospel to the nations. If God’s mercy could reach Saul, it can reach anyone.
The church’s witness matters now. Will we mirror the world’s anger, or will we display Christ’s mercy? That will require prayer, tears, and the daily work of the Holy Spirit. But the command is clear: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
So let us grieve Charlie Kirk. Let us lift up his family and friends. Let us pray even for the man who killed him, while still pursuing earthly justice. In doing so, we honor Christ’s call to mercy and the God-given duty to uphold righteousness.
Forgiveness is not optional. It is the very heart of Christian faith. On the cross, Jesus looked at His executioners and said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
That is our charge now.
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