“The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.” 

Proverbs 18:17

Like most of you and millions around the world, I have been grieving and processing the assassination of Charlie Kirk over these last couple of weeks. And as we have discovered together, the mere mention of his name stirs controversy in the broader culture…but regardless of our political views, I am praying that ultimately, this tragedy stirs courage in all of us. 

We don’t have to agree with everything that ever came out of his mouth, both in content and style (an impossible standard for anyone except Jesus). But we can uphold what is honorable about Kirk, according to Philippians 4:8. I’ve followed him for years, and even tabled and spoke at the Turning Point USA America Fest conference in 2023. During this time, I’ve witnessed the following honorable traits in Kirk that I think we all can celebrate.

I. Kirk was a rapidly maturing disciple who was unashamed of the gospel. 

He certainly grew in this over the last few years of his life. According to Albert Mohler, in his early years, he saw Christianity as limiting to his political goals—a “huge drag on conservative progress.” But Warren Smith contends that something changed around 2020, when his faith became much more real and personal. Smith notes, 

His near-permanent scowl, perhaps a young man’s attempt to be taken seriously, was replaced with a nearly perpetual smile, and regular outbursts of laughter. You could see in him joy, and compassion. He had the mind and the quick wit to bludgeon opponents, but a close look at his videos from more recent years shows someone who asks more questions than answers. Many of the videos you can find of Charlie on the Internet end with him smiling at an opponent who had just talked himself into a circle.

I’m sure many of us would conjecture that meeting Erika Frantzve (2019), marrying her (2021), and starting a family likely played a major role in centering his faith in Christ. 

Economist and commentator David Bahnsen poignantly points out that many (even fair) critiques of Kirk lack the grace of considering his age and maturation process:

Just in the last 24 months anyone paying attention to Charlie’s public life saw extraordinary maturity and growth. It is so hard for me as a 51-year old to critique the 26-year old version of Charlie without wondering what the 36-year old or 41-year old might have been like…Before you post about something Charlie said or did at age 27, think about your own life at 27. When I do that, it makes me want to really keep my mouth shut.

One could spend hours watching videos of Kirk testify to faith in Christ, the truth of the Bible, and the importance of Christianity to our nation and culture. Maybe my favorite is his brief testimony to a Satanist in which he winsomely speeds through at least five apologetic arguments in a shockingly effective response to hostile questioning. Especially toward the end of his life, Kirk sought to preach the gospel and expand the kingdom of Christ, and I am grateful for his example. 

II. Kirk was a champion for true free speech.

He was driven by the belief that we must protect respectful dialogue, explaining, “When people stop talking, that’s when you get violence.” Unfortunately, his assassination was a tragic exception to this truism. 

In any perusal of Charlie Kirk videos, examples abound in which a person approaches the mic and levels against him every kind of evil accusation (warning: language) and personal attack, only for Kirk to invite them into a respectful discussion in which he offers them the opportunity to prove their claims. You can often see him quieting the crowd so that students with differing opinions can be heard, and graciously speaking the truth in love. 

Kirk properly understood free speech. Of course, no constitutional right is absolute, and our laws recognize limits on free speech such as threats, defamation, and obscenity. But he stood passionately against efforts to categorize and legally sanction opponents’ speech as “hate speech”—an increasingly common threat to our republic. I applaud Kirk for boldly defending true free speech. 

III. Kirk didn’t live according to the fear of man.

To his credit, Kirk was not limited by the curse of people pleasing but rather stayed focused on his mission.

The morning after his assassination, I sent an email to our members in an attempt to help them talk to their students that day, which was also the anniversary of 9/11. While I received many positive responses, I also received two criticisms, both respectful—even though one cancelled her membership in Christian Educators. They made similar complaints, along the lines of, “Kirk was a hateful racist, misogynist, and race baiter” who doesn’t represent Jesus. They each shared the specific accusation that Kirk criticized Black women as lacking the brain power to be taken seriously.

As I investigated this accusation and several others, I found that they were based more on false narratives about Kirk spun by hostile media rather than on what he actually said. For example, the “brain power” quote was aimed at four specific individuals. Should Kirk have personally criticized those four prominent leaders in that way? Probably not, but he was not making a blanket statement about all Black women. Stemming from Kirk’s passionate pursuit of a colorblind meritocracy, he criticized both Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. While his technical arguments here are not racist, I can sympathize with those in the Black community who felt targeted by Kirk. That being said, evidence of Kirk’s promotion of and affection for Black Americans abounds. 

Regarding the critiques that he was a misogynist, Kirk certainly held traditional views about marriage, the role of women, and working mothers that are upheld in many churches. Here is a typical example of his messaging. Many in my audience of educators (which includes many working mothers) may disagree with Kirk, but I would hold that the evidence that he is a true misogynist is lacking. 

Kirk’s provocative debating style gave his opponents lots of rope to attempt to hang him with, even more so when they twisted what he actually said. However, his ability to focus on his mission and not allow the constant, and often unfair, criticism to distract him remains admirable even if one disagrees with some of his conclusions.   

Final Thoughts

How often have you found Proverbs 18:17 to be true in your own life, particularly recently? Kirk’s opponents often “seemed right” as they “stated their case,” but their arguments frequently withered under his incisive cross-examination. Many accusations made in the media about Kirk seem to fail the same test—they either are refuted or lose much of their power upon investigation.

So, how should we think about Charlie Kirk moving forward? When any influential figure is taken from us so tragically, there is an impulse to put him on a pedestal and idolize him. On the other hand, among those who opposed Kirk and what he stood for, we have all witnessed the impulse to demonize him instead. 

As we talk with our colleagues and students, let’s resist both of these impulses by maintaining a sober-minded view of Charlie Kirk, recognizing that he has flaws just like all of us, but honoring him for the many things he did well—I would argue heroically well. Serving in our public schools, we are called to love and serve those who may have vehemently different opinions on Kirk and many other issues. Let’s stay focused on Jesus and our mission. 

As I watched Kirk’s memorial on September 21, I was not alone in being deeply encouraged by the words of Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He honored Charlie well and then closed with a powerful presentation of the gospel—a powerful reminder for us to seek first the Kingdom of Jesus over temporary political victories.

Personally, what stands out to me about Charlie Kirk is that he began his career in political activism believing that Christianity was a drag on the conservative movement. He reportedly ended his career with a dream that the Holy Spirit would break out at a political rally. This is a transformation that we can all get behind. I pray that as we step out in faith as the Holy Spirit leads us in our schools, the bold courage of Charlie Kirk would forever inspire us. 

P.S. This is an appropriate opportunity to remind the Free to Teach audience that this column does not represent official positions of Christian Educators, but rather my own opinions. If you disagree, I invite you to present your case to me privately or publicly, and, in the spirit of this column, I will do my best to respect your right to be heard and respond graciously as I have the capacity to do so.