Charlie Kirk was not merely “killed.” Death did not take him by car accident or heart attack. He was assassinated; a martyr struck down by a radical leftist, Tyler Robinson, a former Mormon whose friends and family described him as a committed liberal. This was no random act. It was a deliberate, hateful attack meant to silence a Christian patriot and provoke fear. The mainstream media’s attempt to paint Robinson as a “right-winger” was a flimsy lie, and it dissolved under the slightest bit of scrutiny like cotton candy in the rain. 

In this article, I write not to the Democrats or the general Left, but to pastors, church leaders, and Christians who may be tempted to view this tragedy through an unbiblical lens. The heart of the church must be the heart of truth, especially in times of crisis. The events of the last few weeks were traumatizing, anger-inducing, and deeply unsettling. Many of us, including myself, are still grappling with this heinous act. 

Yet, as believers, we must respond not with despair or reckless rage, but with the clarity and conviction of God’s Word in God’s world. I will offer three encouragements in this article on how pastors and Christians can respond with truth and courage in these perilous times.

First, Grieve the Reality of Death 

In John 11, we find Jesus standing before the tomb of his friend Lazarus, who had died. Despite being implored by Lazarus’s family to arrive and act sooner, Jesus remarkably waited—ensuring Lazarus was truly dead—before acting, intending to demonstrate His power over death. When Martha, Lazarus’s sister, expressed faith in a future resurrection, Jesus responded by acknowledging that reality, but also with a profound miracle, resurrection from the dead. But before raising Lazarus, He did something profound: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35). 

Why would the Lord of Creation, the sinless God-man, weep? He knew He would soon raise His friend back to life. I believe it is because death is a curse; it is a painful, brutal reality of a fallen, sinful world. It is a separation between family and friends, a wound that cuts deep in the most permanent sense (this side of eternity) that any wound ever can. Jesus’ tears affirm that grief is not weakness; it is human, and yet it is godly. 

Likewise, we must weep for Charlie Kirk, who was cut down in the prime of life with vicious evil intent. No excuse justifies this murder, no matter how much the assassin despised Kirk’s message or the Christian faith. 

Dear Christian, it is right to grieve at such a time. Grief is not idolatry. Unfortunately, not every Christian is even grieving Charlie’s death. There are other views of Kirk that many in the American church hold, terribly misguided views that not only refuse to grieve but even inspire so-called Christians and pastors to attack Charlie Kirk and those who appreciated his work. To put it mildly, these are “fence-sitters.”

Second, Rebuke the Fence-Sitters 

Some pastors and leaders have responded to this tragedy with a milquetoast “third-way” approach, condemning the violence but also scolding those who honor Kirk’s legacy. Others, like James Roberson, a major NAMB and Send Network pastor and church planting trainer, all but blamed Charlie Kirk for “bringing it on himself” in his Sunday sermon after the assassination.

This is shameful. 

If these leaders stood at Lazarus’ tomb with Jesus, would they have posted, “Jesus is idolizing His buddy Lazarus! Just worship God, don’t idolize Lazarus!” If they were at the cross, I wonder if they would have said, “Jesus brought this on himself.” I sure hope not, but it’s difficult to believe otherwise with many posting similar statements about their fellow Christians mourning Kirk’s death. Such nonsense must stop.

No one is idolizing Charlie Kirk in a truly “biblically defined idolatry” manner. No one is praying to him or placing him above the Lord. Mourning a brother and celebrating his courage and legacy is not idolatry—it is love, honor, and biblical obedience (Romans 12:10: “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor”). 

To pastors who think honoring the dead is somehow wrong, I would suggest that your grandstanding appears aimed at impressing those outside the church who already mock your faith. The world that cheers “cool kid Christianity” still scorns the gospel. 

Call a spade a spade: What happened to Kirk was evil and uncalled for. Christians, conservatives, and everyday Americans have every right to be downcast and angry. To suggest otherwise is to dilute the truth and bring reproach on yourself. And to attack Charlie Kirk’s political views from the pulpit with Leftist talking points in the days after his death, like so many pastors did, is even worse.

Three, Abhor What is Evil and Reject the “Both Sides” Narrative 

Scripture commands us to “Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good” (Romans 12:9). Charlie Kirk’s assassination was evil—an act of terrorism meant to instill fear and incite chaos. The FBI now reports a network of individuals may be involved, and disturbingly, some on the radical Left have celebrated this murder with twisted glee.  

Let me be clear: This is not a “both sides” issue. No one “celebrated” the tragic killings of Minnesota Democrat Melissa Horton and her husband Mark in July 2025 by a supposed “MAGA supporter.” No, the pattern of political violence leans decisively to the Left. The death of the Hortons was also evil and demonic, and they did not deserve it. Again, no one cheered on the right when it happened.

Not so for untold thousands who jumped for joy at the news of Kirk’s death. It’s not just Kirk’s death, either, that was perpetrated and celebrated by the Left.

Remember last July? A little over a year ago, former president Donald Trump, who was again running for the highest political office in America, survived two assassination attempts, both by individuals with no allegiance to his cause. The first was by Thomas Crooks, a shadowy figure, and the second by Ryan Wesley Routh, a Democrat voter with a criminal record who was strongly in favor of many current liberal causes. 

Then there’s Robert “Robin” Westman, a transgender individual who killed two Catholic schoolchildren in August 2025, and Audrey “Aiden” Hale, who murdered six at a Christian school, three children and three adults in Nashville in 2023. 

In June 2022, Nicholas John Roske, now known as Sophie Roske, also “transgender,” sought with murderous intent to take out Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Thankfully, he failed. 

Or go back to 2017, when Representative Steve Scalise was shot at a congressional baseball game practice. Scalise and three other people were shot and wounded by James Hodgkinson, a left-wing extremist with a background of domestic violence.  Hodgkinson wounded Scalise and three others before Capitol Police dropped him in a hail of return fire. 

These acts, fueled by radical ideologies and enabled by a culture that indulges confusion over truth, reveal a disturbing trend. These aren’t isolated horrors—the numbers are staggering, a relentless wave of cold-blooded leftist-inspired terrorism ripping through the U.S. 

It is the Left and its violent rhetoric that have fanned these flames for the better part of a decade. Democrat leaders like Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi, and Joe Biden have labeled conservatives “fascists” and “Nazis,” with Trump compared to Hitler thousands of times. It would be just a leftist stereotype and could be funny if countless misguided people did not believe it. 

Again, this is not a “both sides” issue, Christian. Do not believe the lies. Name the last authentic Republican who voted for President Trump, goes to church, has a family, a job, and contributes to society, who also went out and committed an act of mass murder or politically inspired violence. I can’t think of one.

Why? Because Christ is better! And the ideology of Leftism is a hopeless lie that captures the mind, and sin runs wild in the imagination until it is fully realized. The rhetoric isn’t harmless; it is not just words—it poisons the air and stifles dialogue. Even Kirk, on more than one occasion, when asked, “Why are you out here doing this?” He would reply, “When people stop talking, that’s when bad things happen.”

It is not just media talking heads and Democrat politicians that are partly to blame, but the leniency of liberal judges, judges that very often release repeat offenders, like the twelve-time convict who stabbed Iryna Zarutska to death on that train just a few short weeks before Kirk’s assassination. Such policies breed chaos, and the church must not remain silent but continue to proclaim the truth! 

And part of that truth that must be proclaimed is that this is not a “both sides” problem. The Right and the Left are not morally equivalent. There is one side and one side only using violent rhetoric to inspire deadly political action: The Left.

Conclusion: The Church Must Act 

All this evil finds its cure at the cross—yes and amen! But salvation does not mean passivity. Faithful Christians are not called to sit on their hands waiting for the rapture –or whatever. As Paul urged the Thessalonians, “Do not grow weary in doing good” (2 Thessalonians 3:13). 

Christians must stand firm in truth, whether in the public square or in private prayers. This is what makes the SBC so vital among other faithful Christian denominations. We are 40,000 churches strong. If we were to act with courage, we could do so much good for this country. 

Pastors must teach and preach clearly, boldly, yet with gentleness and fear of the Lord. I am not talking about niceness, not something that makes everyone happy. Instead, pastors must preach truthfully and live fearlessly before men. We must abhor the evil of Kirk’s assassination, honor his legacy, and demand justice. This is not a time for soft Christianity or fence-sitting. It is a time to weep, to pray, and to act. Pray for Erika Kirk and her two children, that they would know their husband and father died defending them, and most of all, the truth. 

Pray for the church to rise with courage, rejecting lies and proclaiming truth. Pray that many people come to know the one faithful Savior through this tragedy. Pray for those lost souls ensnared in gender dysphoria, political Leftism, and the lies that they hold. 

And pray that we, as Christ’s followers, would not take the bait of violence or despair but instead turn our anger into a resolve to do good. The world is watching. Let them see a church that loves fiercely, hates evil, and holds fast to the cross of Christ. 

Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good, and never grow weary in doing that good!