T. Allen Burr Ministries

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

– Isaiah 5:20

Today, I find myself joining the throngs of others raising their voices about the assassination of Charlie Kirk. I just can’t let it go. Charlie was one of my favorite podcasters. He was intelligent, philosophical, and charming. I listen to his show frequently on my drives to and from work, while I work out, or when I can’t sleep. His voice was familiar to me, and yet, he was a complete stranger. Still, I feel compelled to say something in light of his death. He did not deserve it. Regardless of his politics… Irrespective of if you agree or disagree with him… Charlie Kirk did not deserve to die. Take away the fame and what you know of his politics, and he was just a 31-year-old man with a wife and kids much like myself. What happened to Charlie was abhorrent. It was a tragedy. To think that this is someone’s twisted version of justice … It’s a travesty of justice.

I think the reason why this is hitting me harder than expected is because I have seen instances of people in my own community celebrating his death, mocking Charlie and his family, hurling insults and names at a dead man and his widow… What on earth has this world come to? This is why I started the article with the scripture I did, because there are those in my own community who are calling evil good and good evil, who are putting darkness for light and light for darkness. These are people who slander Charlie and in the same breath lift up Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as a true Christian and martyr. I don’t disagree with the sentiment that Dr. King was a true Christian and a martyr for his beliefs, but that does not give anyone license to behave so callously in regard to Charlie Kirk.

Dr. King said that “darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” If you want the world to be more inclusive, then why respond in hate when someone you disagree with meets a horrific and untimely end? If you want others to be more accepting and loving, then why fill the world with more darkness? Sure, you are entitled to dislike Charlie and the things he stood for, but celebrating his death? All that is is darkness. That’s hatred. You will not achieve a lighter, more inclusive, and more loving world by propagating the moral, ethical, and spiritual opposite. If you want the world to be a more loving and inclusive space, consider what Scripture has to say about it:

Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

– 1 Corinthians 13:6

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.

– 2 Timothy 2:22

Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed.

– John 3:20

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

– Romans 2:21

To overcome the rampant evil permeating our nation, we cannot shy away; we cannot ignore the evil; we cannot allow evil to supplant goodness. We must bind ourselves together in love. People from all walks of life are hurting in the wake of Charlie’s death. To overcome the hate that is consuming our world, we must be beacons of God’s light and love.

The Apostle Paul tells us that love rejoices with the truth. Charlie Kirk was a man with a vision to empower young people to have good-faith, open discussions about their beliefs. He aimed to enable young people to read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights and know the depths of their freedoms for themselves. On top of that, he was unapologetically Christian. He believed in Christ’s substitutionary work on the cross, His resurrection, and the eternal life offered to those who believe in Christ. He was a man who valued truth above all else.

If we celebrate Charlie’s death, then we have ignored righteousness, blighted the faith, bastardized love, and have subverted peace. Paul tells us to flee the immature behaviors of our youth. We should not rejoice when another believer who believes differently than us dies. Doing so invites nothing but darkness into our lives, and as Christ said, “everyone who does evil hates the light.” Recalling Isaiah 5, by rejoicing in this man’s death, we substitute darkness for light and light for darkness. Those who participate in celebrating this death hate the light so much that they are willing to look at the darkness and call it light and vice versa.

Growing up, I heard the scripture from Numbers 32 mentioned: “Always be sure your sin will find you out.” Christ reaffirmed this in Luke 8 saying “For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” It will be far better to own up to one’s poor decisions now than to allow the sin to be exposed later on. Instead of rejoicing and hiding the sin away inside yourself, repent and work to make peace. That is what love does in times like these. Jesus Himself said:

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

– Matthew 5:9

Some of the people in my community rejoicing at the death of Charlie Kirk are self-professing Christians. This is particularly distressing because Jesus would never have condoned that kind of behavior. Scripture makes that very clear.

Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.

– Proverbs 24:17-18

But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding a form of godliness, but having denied the power thereof. Avoid such people.

– 2 Timothy 3:1-5

I try my level best to follow Christ’s teachings, and His teaching in Luke 17 applies here:

If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.

If you are a self-professing Christian and you have rejoiced privately or publicly at the death of Charlie Kirk, firstly, you should be ashamed of yourself. I’ll say it again: Shame on you. You have capitulated to the devil’s desire. You have given in to the oldest sin there is: You have called what is evil good. Secondly, despite my harsh tone, there is forgiveness and redemption to be found, always. The call to you now is to repent. If you have rejoiced in this man’s death in any way and call yourself a Christian, you need to repent. Regardless of how much you disagree with his politics, celebrating a man’s death is evil. I will leave you with one final nugget from the Apostle Paul:

Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.

– Romans 12:9