“If a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it produces many seeds.”
Charlie Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA (TPUSA), a Christian conservative youth movement, was shot to death on the 10th during an event on the campus of Utah Valley University. His funeral was held on September 21 (local time) at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, with tens of thousands of people in attendance, and millions of people from around the world watching to mourn his death.
Political leaders, pastors, conservative media influencers, and Christian musicians attended the event to honour the faith and mission left by Charlie Kirk. Turning Point USA and Turning Point USA Faith officials, who have led the conservative youth movement, also took the stage and said, “We will continue his legacy.”
In particular, the words of Erika Kirk, the wife of the deceased, that she forgave her husband’s killer, Tyler Robinson, resonated deeply. She quoted Jesus’s words at the cross and said, “I forgive him, because that’s what Christ did, and that’s what Charlie would do.” She continued, “The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love, and the gospel teaches us to love our enemies and those who persecute us.”
She then shared, “We didn’t see violence, we didn’t see rioting, we didn’t see revolution. Instead, we saw repentance and revival. Many people reopened the Bible, gave long-forgotten prayers, and even those who had never been to church visited the church.”
She also recalled his ministry, saying, “The greatest cause in Charlie’s life was trying to ‘revive the American family’. He spoke to young people about how ‘marriage and family’ could enrich their lives.” She also confessed, “The verse of the Lord’s Prayer, ‘Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven,’ is the greatest comfort right now.” She then gave testimony for God’s mercy, saying, “I witnessed my husband’s painless and peaceful last moment.”
The funeral was more than just a memorial service. Rather, it was a large-scale religious gathering. Placards with American flags and Bible verses were hung inside and outside the venue, and the hymn “Amazing Grace” rang out. (Source: Christian Today, Edited Version)
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. Anyone who loves their life will lose it, while anyone who hates their life in this world will keep it for eternal life. (John 12:24-25)
God, in this time when hate crimes against Christians are growing more severe, we praise You for revealing the love of the cross and awakening the Church through the powerful witness of one who forgave her husband’s killer. Clothe the churches in America with Your love that embraces sinners and send them into a world filled with hatred and division to proclaim the gospel, so that wandering souls may return to You, their true Father. As a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies to bear much fruit, raise up faithful witnesses of the gospel across the United States, men and women who deny themselves and follow the Lord, so that the fullness of Christ may be revealed in America and among the nations.
Prayer 24·365
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