With the tragic killing of Charlie Kirk, we have become aware how quickly the world can change. His murder has set unforeseen things into motion that no one could have predicted even 3 weeks ago. Just to get a sense of the impact of these past couple of weeks, there were more outlets that covered his memorial service than covered the Super Bowl. Though only 100,000 were allowed into the venue for the memorial, data indicates there were more than 270,000 people who came to be part of the event. More amazing, over 100 million people viewed all or part of the service online or on TV, and estimates are that over the next week or two this number is likely to climb to a quarter billion! Something has shifted.
Now, I believe it is premature to make declarations of a national revival (though, I hope and pray for one!). The reason I approach this with hesitancy is because too often people want to prognosticate as if they know exactly what God is or isn’t doing and where things will lead. The truth is, we don’t know. We will leave the future in God’s hands, and we will only know in hindsight just how impactful this season really ends up being.
Having said this, however, something is happening in our country spiritually. Even prior to the shooting of Charlie, the demographic that was leading the way in returning to church is Gen Z. Something deeply spiritually seems to be drawing young people/young adults toward faith and toward Christ. This is amazing!
As Christians, we are called to step up to the moment in which we live. Like the men of Issachar in 1 Chronicles 12:32, the church needs to “understand the times” and know how God’s people should respond. In any season, there will be opportunities. The reality is, people are always in need of God, but sometimes they become more aware of that need when a tragedy hits. Here’s the thing about a crisis, though. It opens a window of opportunity for people to hear the voice of God. However, that window–that softened heart–won’t stay open forever. Just like 9-11, people will eventually go on about their lives and get busy again. Distraction can keep us from making the most important decisions. Right now, the window is open. So, how can we take advantage of this opening?
First, let’s pray. Pray for those who are hurting to find Christ, to find Christian community, to find hope and answers. Pray, also, that God will give believers opportunities to speak into other’s lives, and pray that he gives us the wisdom to know how to respond.
Secondly, let’s be kind and patient. The majority of people, I believe, are sympathetic to the tragedy that the Kirk family has endured, even those who may not agree with Charlie Kirk’s views. However, there are clearly folks who hate what Charlie Kirk stood for and have celebrated his death. It is amazing to me how one can rationalize cheering on the death of an innocent man. It only reinforces the reality of the darkness of the human heart, and it reminds us that we are all broken sinners in need of salvation. Left to our own selfish and blind ways, we will stumble and fall.
Thirdly, this is a time for courage. Charlie once said, “I want to be remembered for courage for my faith.” Courage is contagious. As someone has said, when one person stands tall, it stiffens the spines of those around them. Pray for the courage to be faithful and bold, and in so doing, you will help others to stand strong, as well.
Lastly, with all of this focus on Charlie Kirk these past couple of weeks, it would be easy to miss the most important person in all of this. Obviously, it is not Charlie Kirk. It is Jesus. Charlie would have been the first to tell you that he didn’t die for your sins. Jesus did. There is only one Messiah, and his name is Jesus. If all you end up seeing in recent events is Charlie, you will have missed the point. But if you see Jesus in this moment, you will have found all you were ever looking for!