Regarding Charlie Kirk’s Murder

When it comes to the murder of right-wing provocateur Charlie Kirk, several things can be true at the same time.

1. Kirk made a living promulgating falsehoods and incendiary, divisive rhetoric. He spread baseless conspiracies including the “Great Replacement” theory and voter fraud. He spread Russian propaganda and downplayed the invasion of Ukraine. He dismissed the 1964 Civil Rights Act as “a huge mistake” and called Martin Luther King Jr. an “awful” person. He mocked George Floyd and pushed for Derek Chauvin’s pardon. He insulted Black people and Muslims and promoted antisemitic stereotypes. He said women should attend college to find husbands, claimed Kamala Harris voters “don’t value having children,” and disparaged women in their 30s. He targeted “leftist” professors. He decried gun control, saying it was worth having “some gun deaths every single year” in order to preserve the 2nd Amendment. (Words that now ring with bitter irony.) And to the best of my knowledge, he never retracted or recanted any of these views before his untimely death.
2. Kirk should still be enjoying life with his wife and kids. Nothing he ever said, no matter how wrong or offensive it might’ve been, deserved death. And his young family did nothing to deserve losing their husband and father.
3. Kirk spoke quite proudly of being a Christian, something many of his critics — especially those harmed by his rhetoric — no doubt find hard to believe. It is not for us to determine his ultimate resting place, though. Ultimately, the fate of Kirk’s eternal soul is in the hands of the Judge of all the earth, who is merciful and will always do right. But for what it’s worth, I believe in the scandal of grace, and therefore, I hope Kirk is in heaven — same as I would for anyone.
4. Political violence of any kind is evil, and should be roundly condemned, be it the murder of Kirk or Democratic representative Melissa Hortman; the assassination attempts on President Trump and Steve Scalise; the attack on Nancy Pelosi’s husband; the arson in the Pennsylvania governor’s mansion; the January 6 insurrection; and the list goes on. Hopefully, Kirk’s murderer will be caught, tried, and charged to the full extent of the law.
5. Sadly, the evil of political violence is exacerbated by our nation’s mindless idolatry of firearms and steadfast refusal to consider even the most basic gun laws and regulations.
6. Anyone cheering or celebrating Kirk’s death is indulging in depravity. That’s doubly true for anyone who calls themself a Christian. Critiquing and condemning a person’s words, politics, and ideologies, even vehemently and after they’re gone, is one thing. (To his credit, Kirk was willing to put his ideas out there for anyone, even South Park, to critique and condemn.) But rejoicing in or mocking the murder of someone who bears the image of God is not the way of our Lord and Savior, Who taught us to love our enemies even to the point of self-sacrifice.
7. Already, some of Kirk’s contemporaries on the Right are holding him up as a martyr and calling for revenge and retribution. Alex Jones and Chaya Raichik have declared war. Elon Musk and Laura Loomer have labeled the Left murderers and terrorists while The Federalist’s Sean Davis has called Democrats “a domestic terrorist organization” whose fanatical members “will not hesitate to murder their political opponents.” And Matt Walsh has called for the Right to unite against “demonic forces from the pit of Hell.” None of this lashing out will do anything but fan the flames and set the stage for more violence and division.
8. This world is too much for us. The amount of darkness and vitriol flowing through today’s headlines and social media timelines is poisonous to our hearts, souls, and minds. This is not to say that we should stick our heads in the sand and ignore what’s going on in the world, but we must know our limits. As my friend Stace wrote on Facebook, “[w]e as humans were not designed to see endless carnage, school shootings, genocides, [our] neighbors kidnapped & detained, families being ripped apart, wildfires, layoffs, and so much devastation.”
9. Therefore, you must do whatever you can to preserve your humanity and remember the humanity of others. Turn off your phone and pretend social media doesn’t exist. Go on a date with your partner. Invite some friends over for dinner. Call your parents. Watch a silly movie with your kids. Listen to your favorite album. Read a beloved book. Play a game. Take a walk outside. Look up at the stars to remind you of the universe’s vastness and your smallness. Look at some art to remind you of humanity’s greatness. If you’re a Christian, spend time in the Word and prayer and worship with your fellow believers this Sunday. And whatever you do, don’t let the bastards — including the influencers, personalities, and pundits who make their living through outrage and clickbait — grind you down.

Kyrie eleison.