In the days of Nero, the hatred of the early Christians was so great that they say the Roman
roads were lighted with their burning corpses. As Charlie Kirk’s lifeblood flowed onto the
stage at Utah Valley University, he became no less a martyr to the cause of Christ than
those brave souls of old who chose death before they would betray their beloved Lord and
Savior. There should be no doubt that in the words of the Apostle Paul, Charlie “fought the
good fight, he finished his course, he kept the faith.”
Nevertheless, the news reports of the unwarranted attack on Charlie shuddered through
the halls of Southern Evangelical Seminary and other Christian conclaves like a banshee
straight from the pits of hell. Then the trickling in of follow up reports from mutual friends
gave portents of the dreaded news that inevitably was to come. Certainly, our collective
hearts go out to Charlie’s wife Erika and his young son and daughter. At the same time,
those of his staff and friends will be forever affected by the events of this day as well. But
there are also scores of young high school and college students all over America today who
have lost their leader and now, like many of us feel that the ship is at least momentarily
rudderless. So, in the malaise of our sorrow and sadness, what is left for us to consider?
Initially speaking— and I want you to hear me clearly—the heinous murder of Charlie Kirk
was not, as some would have you believe, an attack on free speech or human dialogue. Nor
was it an act of random violence by some misguided individual seeking his few fleeting
moments of fame. No, this was a well planned and executed assault on the cause of Christ
and His followers that emanated from the sordid mind of Satan himself. In short, it was a
demonic onslaught on the very foundations of our society and nation. For those who would
even now disparage Charlie Kirk and the cause of Christ, I will offer two prayers. First, I pray
that God will have mercy on your soul. Secondly, I pray for personal forgiveness because
right now I cannot find in my own being any mercy to share with you.
To my beloved nation, my greatest desire is that you would seek Christ and that the scales
of deceit might fall from your eyes. Though God’s judgment on this nation may be closer
than ever before, I sense that there is a movement of Christ in the hearts and minds of
young people all across this land. Charlie Kirk was indeed its champion, and the gates of
Hell have sought to break its energy and its thrust. But what the minions of Satan cannot
comprehend is that far from destroying the revival that is coming, they have merely fanned
its flames.
At the same time, as Christ followers, we need to be aware of the current state of our
nation. This was not the first act of chaos directed at the basic fabric of America, nor will it
be the last. Therefore, we must be vigilant and resolute in order to meet the challenge set
before us. From my high school years, I remember my typing class in which we had to
repeatedly type a phrase that included all the keys on the board. It went something like this:
“Now is the time for all good men to come the aid of their country.” And so, it is.
Perhaps the old hymn says it best: “Once to every man and nation, comes the moment to
decide. In the strife of truth with falsehood, for the good or evil side. . . . Then to side with
truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust. . . . Then it is the brave man chooses
while the coward stands aside. . . . By the light of burning martyrs, Christ, thy bleeding feet
we track, toiling up new Calvaries ever with the Cross that turns not back. Though the
cause of evil prosper, yet the truth alone is strong; though her portion be the scaffold, and
upon the throne be wrong; yet the scaffold sways the future, and behind the dim unknown,
standeth God within the shadow, keeping watch above His own.”
As for Southern Evangelical Seminary, we stood steadfast in the truth with Charlie Kirk, and
we will not now fail Christ nor Charlie. So, if you look for us, and I hope you do, you will find
us standing in the gap for the love of our nation and its people while we proclaim the only
truth that matters, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the way, there is room for more; won’t you
join us?
