Charlie Kirk’s Message

The message left by the late Charlie Kirk was neither new nor complicated but profoundly simple—Live as Jesus taught us to live. In other words, Love God with all your heart and all your soul. Love your neighbor as you love yourself. Humble yourself and you will be exalted. Let him who is without sin cast the first stone. Forgive others not seven times but seventy times seven.

Charlie demonstrated his love of God by taking Jesus’ teachings seriously. Not just listening to them in Sunday sermons but practicing them in his daily life with all his strength. And not only by writing messages in essays and books but by meeting those he wished to speak to on their own campuses and gathering places.

The boldness of these visits should not be forgotten. Few campuses welcomed speakers whose messages were conservative, let alone Christian. When such speakers sought lecture halls, they were often denied permission for fear they would be shouted down or, worse, assaulted.

Despite such warnings, Charlie visited campuses around the country. And he often ignored lecture halls and chose unprotected areas. To the surprise of administrators and professors, students flocked to hear him in numbers that grew as time passed. The reason was not magical. He simply showed the students that he loved them as much as he loved himself and treated them as he wanted to be treated. In other words, he did not speak down to them but engaged them as equals, listening to their views and sharing his own, even to the extent of handing them his microphone so that they could be heard as clearly as he was heard.

The result of this simple application of Jesus’ message may have produced forceful exchanges of ideas, but they were presented with mutual respect. The students recognized Charlie’s humility and responded in kind. And the reward was as Jesus promised.

Many of us were only passingly aware of Charlie’s work during his 31 years of life. But his assassination dramatically changed that. It quickly became clear that many millions of people around the world, especially young people, knew of his work, embraced it, and felt great respect and admiration for him. Examples of their feelings are far too numerous to document in a brief essay, but the following story is not untypical. President Trump said that some years ago his son Barron asked him if he could arrange a meeting with a person he greatly admired. Trump’s first thought was that Barron had in mind an historic person like King Charles of Great Britain. But Barron clarified that he meant Charlie Kirk!

Charlie Kirk’s impact on the world has been historic. The entire world, especially the western part of it, has for a long time been losing its traditional philosophical and religious values. To an extent that has yet to be fully grasped, he has reversed that trend. Judeo-Christian culture has been revived. Church attendance has risen dramatically. Believers who have long hidden their religious faith are proudly acknowledging it. Young people who have shown little interest in marriage and parenthood are attracted to them. Parents and children who had been separated by disagreements have been brought together by Charlie’s example. And innumerable people from all walks of life and all political views have recovered hope for the future of their countries and the world.

All that was brought about by one man who devoted his life to truth and goodness. The world is a better place for Charlie’s example. Thank God for creating him and his parents for nurturing him. And may his wife, children, and followers keep his work alive.

The task won’t be easy. Evil still surrounds and deceives us. Hard hearts resist change. Well-intentioned people become complacent. We now know more clearly than before that The Holy Spirit works in mysterious and dramatic ways beyond our imagination. But we must remember that His grace and guidance are never forced on us. Rather than command, He invites. And those who love God embrace and act on the invitation, as Charlie did.

Copyright © 2025 by Vincent Ryan Ruggiero. All rights reserved.