‘I Forgive Him’: Three of the Most Impactful Moments from Charlie Kirk’s Memorial
I joined more than 200,000 people Sunday, September 21, to honor the life and legacy of conservative Christian Charlie Kirk.
The founder of Turning Point USA was assassinated on September 10 at Utah Valley University, doing what his wife Erika says he loved best — debating on college campuses.
Students showed up in force, but the crowd spanned generation, race and language. We each wound our way through the streets of Glendale in the wee hours of the morning to pay tribute to one man, just 31 years old, who somehow managed to touch us all.
Erika was one of 25 exceptionally talented speakers who honored Charlie in a five hour service at State Farm Stadium. The line-up featured two planes worth of White House staff, per Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, including, in order of appearance:
- Director of the White House Presidential Personnel Office Sergio Gor
- White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller
- White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles
- Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio
- Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth
- Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
- Vice President J.D. Vance
- President Donald Trump
Other heavy hitters included:
- Conservative commentators Benny Johnson and Jack Probosiec
- Congresswoman Anna Paulina Luna
- Dr. Ben Carson
- Journalist Tucker Carlson
- Donald Trump, Jr.
The tributes, to a one, were heartfelt, gut-wrenching and galvanizing. Charlie was described more frequently as a brother than a friend — an adventurous, curious and unfailingly kind man with a deep desire to follow God’s will for his life.
Erika recalled a Turning Point Faith event two years ago in which Charlie spoke impromptu about “his submission to the will of God.” The speech centered around Isaiah 6:8, which reads, “Here I am! Send me” (ESV).
“I spoke to him backstage and said, ‘Charlie, baby, please talk to me next time before you make that statement,'”Erika told the crowd, laughing softly before sobering:
Some of the most impactful moments of the day had to do with legacy — discussing what Charlie left behind and what we must do to honor his work and sacrifice. Here are three of my favorites.
The first comes from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who concluded his remarks with a fervent account of the Gospel.
“Charlie’s movement was about politics, but not only about politics — it was deeper, it was broader,” Rubio began. “I am confident that one of the things he’d want us to take away from all of this is the following”:
So God took on the form of a man and came down and lived among us. He suffered like a man and He died like a man. But on the third day He rose unlike any other man. He appeared to his disciples, let them see and touch His wounds. He didn’t rise as a ghost or a spirit, but as flesh.
And then He rose to heaven, but He promised he would return — and He will. And when He returns, because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we are free from the sin that separated us from him.
And when He returns there will be a new heaven, and a new earth. And we will all be together again and we will have a joyful reunion with Charlie.
I am used to hearing vague allusions to Christianity. Recently, I’ve been blessed to witness more overt displays of faith from Vice President J.D. Vance, among others. But the passion with which Marco Rubio described, in great detail, the Christian story — and what Christ’s sacrifice means for us and for Charlie Kirk — is unlike anything I’ve heard before. I will not soon forget it.
Shortly after Charlie’s death, Vice President Vance boldly proclaimed the Nicaean Creed while guest hosting the “Charlie Kirk Show,” Charlie’s podcast. I did not think he could be any more explicit or brave at Charlie’s memorial. I was wrong.
“I was telling someone backstage that I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public, as much as I love the Lord and as much as it is an important part of my life,” the Vice President admitted, continuing:
Believing in Jesus is one thing. Proclaiming His name, as the Mr. Vance points out, is quite another. Charlie didn’t just bring people to Jesus — he gave people the courage to speak their faith aloud.
The final, and perhaps most mysterious and wonderful moment, came from Erika.
It’s cliché to say there wasn’t a dry eye in the house when Erika took the stage — but I mean it literally. Everywhere I looked, I saw tears glistening in people’s eyes and on their cheeks. I saw lips bit, closed fists raised to mouths and furtive eye-rubbing. I splashed tears all over my notepad.
Her pain is visible. Visceral. In her, we see a reflection of the worst pain we’ve ever experienced — moments when many of us question the presence and character of our Savior.
But Erika did not express her pain as she might be tempted. Instead, she observed that the man who killed Charlie is the exact kind of man her husband most hoped to help.
“On a cross, our Savior said, ‘Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do.’” she said, haltingly. “That man [who killed my husband] … I forgive him.”
This was not lip-service. I know this because her face and body crumpled. It cost her something to publicly forgive the man who destroyed her family. But she did it. She did it, she said, because that’s what Christ did and that’s what Charlie would want.
What kind of life did Charlie lead that, after his violent death, Erika still has no doubt that he would forgive his killer?
Erika and, through her, Charlie, today demonstrated the transformative power of Jesus Christ in a tangible way I can’t compare to any other. I know I witnessed something historic. Best of all, I’m inspired to resubmit my life to Christ and His will.
It is through Him, and Him alone, that we leave a lasting legacy. I learned that from Charlie.
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