Making Sense of the Legacy and Legend of Charlie Kirk on this 9/11
Like many of you that have chosen to read this post today, I sat in shock and disbelief as the news came pouring in about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I had to then get myself together and go lead a prayer and Bible study session at my church. Most of my congregants had also heard the news so we processed it all together.
It’s the rare news event that occurs where the tragedy of the 9/11 anniversary may be slightly overshadowed by the events of the day before. But I imagine that will be the case this 9/11. So, as Christians, how do we process the evil that occurred yesterday, as well as on 9/11 just 24 years ago?
The incredible thing about the legacy (and legend) that Kirk leaves is that he has answered this question. And…you can go to any of your desired social media platforms and search for “charlie kirk problem of evil” and you’ll hear and see what he had to say. You’ll hear his arguments for the existence of evil as being proof there is a higher good. Without good, you can’t have evil. The events of 9/11 were evil because we know there is good. That good is a reflection of our Creator. And that evil is a reminder that we live in a fallen, broken, world that desperately needs a Savior.
Kirk spent a majority of his early debate and college tour days as an apologist for Christianity. He would bravely venture into universities and interact and debate with atheists, agnostics, progressive liberals, and others who denied his faith. As Kirk’s influence grew, he became more and more coupled with Donald Trump. This relationship, I fear, is why he was ultimately targeted. But that is a post for another day.
Thousands of Kirk’s videos exist on the internet. So the legacy that he leaves is legendary. Charlie Kirk will go into the history books with legendary status. Why? Because of the sheer amount of influence he had on people through his videos and, sadly, the fact that he died so young.
When people of influence die young, they often become legends. Think of JFK, RFK, MLK: political leaders of influence who are studied and still talked about to this day. They are studied to understand why they had the influence they did. This phenomenon also occurs in entertainment. Think of Jimi Hendrix and Kurt Cobain: two rocks stars that died young. Cobain, especially, has reached legendary status among young people primarily because he died at the top of his game, so to speak. His life was one of tragedy but also of success. His limited musical output (compared to lifelong rock stars) is now sacred and his legend grows every year. People who die young, stay young in the mind of their followers. They never grow old or become “irrelevant.”
Charlie Kirk will reach that status simply because of his influence. I fear that many people have grossly underestimated this aspect of his impact. Christians, at the very least, have an extensive video library of his talks, interviews, and debates to scour over for years. His videos will be watched for decades to see how he handled arguments against Christianity. Young Christian apologists will study his techniques, his mannerisms, his love in dialogue, and his heart, to see how he treated people. He was not perfect. At his own admission, he was a sinner in need of a Savior. There were times where he did not respond in the most Christlike manner. But overall, he did. Overall, he dialogued with people, prayed with people, and supported and counseled people in his talks with a Christlike attitude.
It is somehow fitting that on one of the most tragic days in our nation’s history, a day where the next Sunday brought record-breaking church attendance, many Christian Americans mourn the loss of a young and influential Christian apologist who God had raised up for a time. Because he died young, people will study him for years and be blessed by his heart and mind. We mourn the void he has left. Kirk, however, is literally in Heaven. He has heard, “well done good and faithful servant.” He is where is heart ultimately yearned to be. Continue to pray for his family. His young children will grow up with stories instead of memories (as Melania Trump so elegantly posted). But they will also grow up with thousands of videos of just who their dad was. And that is a legacy unto itself.
