Charlie Kirk was murdered on September 10th. I went to church the Sunday after.
Charlie Kirk’s memorial service was on September 21st. I went to church that day too.
Was Charlie Kirk murdered because he was a Christian? Nobody can say for certain. That doesn’t stop journalists and TV personalities from claiming it, though. What can be said for certain is that he called himself Christian, often and publicly. I’m not wise enough to debate what a Christian is and isn’t. But I can say this: the general public knew Charlie Kirk to be a Christian.
On September 10th, a well-known Christian was brutally and graphically murdered in front of a live audience, which included his wife and children. That scene was recorded and replayed millions of times on glowing small rectangles in people’s hands. It was shocking. And the footage, along with the implicit message, has undoubtedly radicalized many moderate conservatives.
But the horror of the murder footage pales in comparison to the horrors of what followed. Many celebrated. Many saw opportunity.
What does it mean that some people celebrated the murder? Kirk had many supporters. Many of them shared his political views. Certainly, those supporters must have wondered if people would celebrate their deaths as well.
I’m not an expert on Kirk’s work. I’ve seen some clips, but politically I feel like I’m on another planet. Since the murder I’ve watched more of his material. He seemed a bit insufferable, but I admired that he at least tried to have open debates across different viewpoints. I’m neither intelligent nor politically savvy enough to judge whether this format was fair or useful. But the U.S. is as divided as I’ve ever seen, and Kirk seemed to be earnestly trying to have conversations across that divide.
Others saw his murder as an opportunity. GoFundMe campaigns, donation drives, and merch sales sprang up within days. A massive memorial was set up at State Farm Stadium. It’s not far from where I live. I considered going.
The memorial featured a star-studded cast of characters. There were heartfelt speeches, prayers, rock bands, and sparklers. A man walked the stadium floor with a full-sized wooden cross. What did it all mean?
It was on Sunday morning. But Divine Liturgy is also on Sunday morning.
When I don’t know what to do, I go to church. Seeking… something. Clarity, guidance, edification, community, healing, or some unnameable mix of them all. Just like an injured child runs to their mother or father, when I’m confused, angry, joyful, or broken, I go to church. It really is that simple. Whenever I start thinking it’s more complicated, I remember it doesn’t have to be.
We pray to the Theotokos for her intercessions. We listen to the Holy Gospel. We hear the priest’s sermon for guidance.
I stumble all the time. I struggle with sin. I have few of the moral qualities a Christian should exemplify. And those I do have, I possess in meager quantities.
But my point is this: I admit that I don’t know many things. That’s something I had in common with Charlie Kirk.
Is it right to try and explain who might have killed him, or how? To judge the investigation? To donate money to Turning Point USA? To subscribe to podcasts some speakers plugged during their speeches at the memorial? To vote to “change things”?
I don’t think so. There is no political solution to the situation. That phrase is usually a quip to justify violence, so I’ll amend it: there is no violent solution to the situation. And further, there is no worldly solution to the situation.
That doesn’t mean donating money or attending a memorial instead of church is necessarily wrong. Some of the “support” afterwards seemed to be in poor taste but what do I know? I’m not a saint, not a priest, not qualified to give spiritual advice. But even if those things are effectual, they don’t matter much if they displace the need to seek refuge in Christ.
The Kirk murder was horrific and jarring but I didn’t know him personally. If he was a close friend I suspect I would have gone to the memorial. My point is that some days the money or drama or comfort do displace my need to seek refuge in Christ and I hate it when that happens. Times are getting darker. Something is stirring in the spirit of our hyperdivided nation. I don’t know what it is. It’s not my responsibility to define it precisely or even offer a defense against it. All we can do is pray and throw ourselves on the Lord’s mercy.
Photos
Turning Point USA issued me a press badge to photograph their event in Phoenix for my blog during the run up to the 2022 midterm elections. I was interested in the mounting division between left and right at that time and felt the photographs would be more meaningful later on. I also applied for a press badge during former president Barack Obama’s visit to endorse Katie Hobbs and Mark Kelly but was denied. I’m not leading you to any conclusions there, a former president requires much higher security, I’m merely stating that I cover what I can get a press badge to, you usually can’t get a good camera into a political rally of any consequence on general admission.
“Men are often wrong in thinking that troubles come from other men. In reality, all troubles come from our estrangement from God. If we live according to His commandments, then all things work for our salvation.”
— St. Anthony the Great