If you loved Charlie Kirk, I hear you. His death is a painful loss. If you had deep concerns about his words or movement, I hear you, too. Both can be true.
We don’t have to fall into the all-or-nothing trap—where grief means silence about harm, or honesty means withholding compassion. We can lament his murder, honor the image of God in him, and still wrestle with what his platform represented.
And what did his platform represent?
It was on full display during his memorial service last Sunday, September 21st. The complexity of being relatively young, a public figure, a political activist, and someone who spoke unflinchingly about his faith. Did he die for being young, public, political, or faithful to the Gospel?
Likely all of it played a role in making him an easy target for the disturbed individual who assassinated his life.
The question the Church is forced to reckon with in the wake of his death, however, is how will Kirk’s legacy be remembered? Because on the same stage, Kirk’s widow graciously forgave her husband’s killer while Kirk’s associates spewed hate and a call for arms against their enemies.
As I’ve reflected on this tension, I’ve appreciated several articles or podcasts that have helped me process all that’s going on in the church today. I’d like to share them with you, as well, as I think they can help us in being more theologically anchored in Jesus and emotionally healthy so we can love others well.
Brian Drinkwine: The Lamb and the Lion
Although I’m not familiar with him or his work, pastor Brian Drinkwine put to words precisely what’s been on my heart these past couple of weeks. He eloquently captured the tension many of us felt watching the memorial service. Erika Kirk’s forgiveness sounded like the Lamb—grace echoing the cross. Then came political speeches cheered like lion-roars of empire. Both were celebrated by the same crowd.
Drinkwine’s takeaway? Empire asks, “Whose side are you on?” The Kingdom asks, “Whose King are you under?”
He rightly identifies the tragedy of our moment when he said: “Many Christians are convinced that we are in a battle to reclaim the soul of our nation. They don’t realize it’s not the soul of our nation we should be most concerned about. It’s the soul of the Church.”
👉 Read: Little Charlies Or Little Jesuses? by Brian Drinkwine (Facebook)
Jemar Tisby: Forgiveness Overshadowed
Historian Jemar Tisby honored Erika’s words of forgiveness as “an incredible act of grace.” But he also noted how quickly that grace was drowned out by retribution. Politicians promised vengeance. Trump declared hatred. The crowd cheered.
Tisby’s warning: “Grievance interrupted grace.” Erika’s moment deserved respect—but respect doesn’t mean ignoring the platform that turned grief into a rally for wrath. As he said, “Forgiveness may have been offered at the microphone, but vengeance was preached from the platform.”
👉 Read: “Forgiveness in the Shadow of Retribution” by Jemar Tisby (Substack)
David French: Why Love and Hate Both Got Cheers
David French asked what many wondered: How can the same people cheer forgiveness and dehumanization? His answer: what we saw was MAGA theology on full display.
French showed how Romans 13 has been misused to excuse malice from political leaders, as if hatred can be God’s tool. But in a republic, the people share responsibility for justice. “If MAGA evangelicals cheer Trump’s hate, his malice becomes theirs.”
While I disagree with French’s understanding of how Christians can participate in politics, I appreciated seeing an honest analysis like this coming from someone of his theological persuasion. It’s a piece of the conversation with interacting with.
👉 Read: “Why MAGA Evangelicals Can Cheer Love and Hate at the Same Time” by David French (NYT)
Pat Kahnke: Echo Chambers and Empire
Pastor Pat Kahnke added humility to the conversation. He once shared Kirk’s fusion of faith and nationalism. He remembers being stirred by militant rhetoric. What changed him? Stepping out of the echo chamber.
Pat mourns Charlie as a 31-year-old robbed of the years to grow, repent, and re-examine his beliefs. His caution: when Christians twist Jesus into a mascot for empire, we’ve turned the gospel upside down.
👉 Watch: Pat Kahnke on grief, echo chambers, and empire
The Holy Post: Our Shared Contradiction
On The Holy Post Podcast, Sky Jethani, Esau McCaulley, and Phil Vischer named the contradiction in the stadium: love cheered, then hate cheered. But Esau pointed deeper—this isn’t just MAGA’s contradiction. It’s ours.
The cross critiques how the state wields power. Forgiveness isn’t optional. And Kirk’s death is a tragedy because he died “mid-story,” never given time to change.
I found this conversation in the first half of their September 24, 2025 episode particularly helpful and convicting.
👉 Listen: Holy Post on the MAGA Contradiction
Where We Go From Here
Charlie Kirk’s death has left us with grief, confusion, and a mirror held up to the church. We can’t change what happened in that stadium, but we can choose a different way forward. This is not just about MAGA. It’s about us. Each of us has a lion and a lamb inside. Each of us is tempted to use Jesus’ name to prop up our own agendas. The invitation, then, is simple but hard:
- Repent of misplaced allegiance. Not Caesar + Jesus. Jesus alone.
- Resist outrage culture. Don’t let algorithms disciple your loves.
- Re-center on the crucified King. Lead with lament. Refuse contempt.
Let Erika’s words of forgiveness echo louder than the roar of vengeance. And may the church, in this moment, choose the Lamb. May we be known not as “little Charlies,” but as little Christs—anchored in Jesus, emotionally healthy, and people who love well, even when it costs us.
Question: How has Charlie Kirk’s death—and the responses around it—shaped the way you think about allegiance to Jesus? You can share your thoughts in the comments below.
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