In times of sorrow, it is true that we run to what we know. We run to what is familiar in an attempt to flee the uncertainty of a trying time, of a situation we cannot control.
After Charlie Kirk’s assassination, it was no different. With teary eyes and heavy hearts, podcasters powered on their microphones and rolled the tapes, musicians picked up their pens and started composing, and friends took to social media and shared the wealth of memories they collected over the years.
As a Christian, I found myself on my knees that afternoon in prayer to the Lord, just like the millions of Christians that I knew were kneeling with me, and as a writer, I find myself today at my keyboard, typing away once again.
We type and speak and sing and cry with anger and sadness for what we can only wish we were there to stop.
But we must never revert to what our flesh knows the best. We must never seek refuge in sin. We must never reach for wrath. We must never rely on the very thing that claimed Charlie’s life in the first place, on the afternoon of September 10th, 2025.
Instead, we must remain on the path of righteousness in our Father. To do anything different would only desecrate Charlie’s legacy, dishonor his work, and derail his dream.
On the morning of Thursday, September 11th, I opened the daily reading to Colossians 3:12-17:
“(12) Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. (13) Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (14) And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. (15) Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. (16) Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. (17) And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”
That morning, my heart remained heavy yet my eyes were dry, as if all the tears had been used the night before. In that verse, I saw a glimmer of hope.
“And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful.”
There is something especially Kirk-like in those lines. Though maybe it is more accurate to say that whenever Kirk preached the word of the Lord, there was something God-like in him.
First and foremost, Charlie was a Christian. He set his sights on the One That Matters Most. Only from Him did all Charlie’s work stem from. Aside from our Lord, Charlie was the leading crusader against the vice that claimed his breath on Wednesday, September 10th, 2025. Charlie believed in God's Holy Word, which is the only thing he would want us to set our sights on today.
There is no doubt that we are now at a turning point. According to a YouGov poll published the same day I sit here in front of my keyboard, 63% of Americans wholeheartedly agree with this sentiment. Initially, this number seemed low. How could no one else see where we are as a country? Do enough people care to make a difference?
Charlie would welcome these numbers with bated breath for the future.
63%. Politically speaking, this is a landslide! More than a majority! Higher than the percentage of people who voted for Trump just months ago!
Charlie had hope, therefore so should we. In this time of trial, we cannot control what other people make of his death, but we can do what we know best.
A turning point of such importance was inevitable. It was imminent. But what is not is the path we now must choose where this point turns.
I could sit around, and curse the one that shot the bullet, and those who celebrated it. I could curse the other side for its rhetoric that seemed to lead up to this point. I could call for an “evening of the playing field,” and look at this as a simple math problem, where they have one point, and we need one to tie and two to take the lead.
But I refuse to, just as Charlie would have.
It is not right. But to appeal even to the Nietzschean caucus, it is not practical. We do not advance by reverting to our worst inclinations. We do not win votes by striking back and striking hard. Those people do not win votes. Those like Charlie Kirk do.
On the morning of Friday, September 12th, I saw the flag flying high over our school. Most days it looks right, but today it looked wrong. It was at half-mast yesterday to honor those lost in the tragedy of 9-11, but was returned to its full height.
It flew as if nothing had happened. It flew as if a father, a husband, and an American hero had not been brutally assassinated only two days prior.
President Trump released a statement hours after Charlie breathed his last, petitioning the governors to follow his lead and fly all American flags on public buildings at half-mast until Sunday afternoon.
Though it is within her rights to do so, my governor, Kathy Hochul, ignored that plea.
My fellow citizens of the State of New York have a governor that puts politics over an innocent man’s life. She sees Charlie Kirk her political opponent over Charlie Kirk the Daddy, the Hubby, and the follower of Jesus Christ, the same Savior she proclaims to believe in herself.
With a renewed sense of duty, I will fight this sentiment with every fiber of my being. It will be hard to do, but I will fight it with peace, love, and strength. In taking Charlie Kirk away from us, this man has only created thousands more, who are fueled by his message and empowered by God. That is where I am choosing to take this turning point.
It is true that “we are human beings and not human doings,” as the popular saying goes, but to be, we must do. To be loving, we must will the good of others, unconditionally. To be courageous, we must persevere through the hardest times. To be triumphant, we must overcome the moments when the Devil’s temptations are the loudest.
For me, Charlie was more than just a commentator. He was a beacon of light in a world of noise. For us, Charlie remains a symbol of open dialogue and of conservatism at its finest. He showed the world that the word “conservative” is not synonymous with the words "reactionary," “hateful,” or “bigoted.” Charlie embodies conservatism’s main principles of honor for the past, love for the present, and duty for the future. And for that, he will live forever among those who carry on his legacy.
Rest in Peace, Charlie, you will be missed.
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