Christian leaders mourn ‘incredible loss’ of Charlie Kirk

Christians are in mourning over the “incredible loss” of Charlie Kirk, who was shot dead at a university campus in Utah on Wednesday. 

Christian creator and broadcaster Eric Metaxas said it was “not too soon” to call Kirk a “martyr” after he was assassinated while talking to students at Utah Valley University. 

“It’s not too soon to say it: Charlie Kirk is a martyr. He was killed for his faith in Jesus, which was behind every little thing he believed politically and otherwise,” said Metaxas.

“We must all know that. He wasn’t merely a political activist. It all got here out of his faith in Jesus Christ.” 

He ended his statement with an appeal to people to “turn to Jesus”. 

Conservative think tank The Heritage Foundation echoed these sentiments, saying: “It is providential that the organization that Charlie founded and so bravely led was named Turning Point.

“His martyrdom have to be a turning point for our country.” 

It added that Kirk had made “immense contributions to the conservative movement and our country”.

American evangelist Franklin Graham remembered Kirk as a person who “loved the Lord Jesus Christ”. He asked people to hope for his wife and two young children. 

“What a tragedy,” said Franklin.

“This young man loved his country and invested his time and energy in attempting to make it the perfect it may very well be.

“He stood boldly for conservative values and defended free speech for all of us. Most importantly, Charlie loved the Lord Jesus Christ.

“Pray for his wife Erika, their two young children, and all of their family. It’s in these moments of darkness that we want to face on the Scripture that Erika shared on social media, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a really present assist in trouble’ (Psalm 46:1).”

Christian creator Sean McDowell called it a “heartbreaking tragedy” and said he was praying for Kirk’s family and for the nation’s leaders to have “wisdom” right now.  

“May the shooter be delivered to justice,” he added.

Kristen Waggoner, president of the Alliance Defending Freedom International, a corporation that defends Christian liberty worldwide, said she was “stunned” and “grieving” for his family. 

“There are not any words to explain my shock and heartbreak over the heinous murder of our dear friend Charlie Kirk,” she said. 

“We pray that justice will probably be swiftly done, and that no further harm will come to the innocent. At the top of each life, there are only a number of things that actually matter. Those things were true of Charlie Kirk: he knew his Creator. He acted on his convictions. He sought to anchor those convictions in the reality of the Gospel. And now, he has entered into glory.

“It now falls to us to rise to the challenge of this moment. Americans of all creeds and convictions must unite in firmly rejecting all types of violence. The way forward for our nation is determined by maintaining free and peaceful debate (which Charlie did so well), quite than silencing one another by force.

“And to my fellow Christians, this moment presents a singular challenge and calling. We alone have something this hurting nation desperately needs: the reality of the Gospel and the love of Christ. It’s time to boldly speak it and powerfully show it. May God have mercy.”

Harvest pastor Greg Laurie called his death “an incredible loss”.

“Charlie was such a courageous young man. He was not only a daring and unwavering voice for biblical truth in our culture, but in addition a faithful follower of Jesus Christ, a husband, and a family man. He will probably be deeply missed,” he said. 

“As shocking as this news is, we will take comfort in knowing that Charlie is now in Heaven. The moment he took his last breath here on earth, he took his first breath within the presence of the Lord.

“That is the hope we hold on to as believers—everlasting life through faith in Jesus Christ. Please join me in praying for Charlie’s wife and youngsters during this unimaginable time. May the God of all comfort surround them with peace and strength.”

Samuel Rodriguez, president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, said, “Our hearts and prayers are with the whole Kirk family as we grieve the death of Charlie Kirk. We are deeply saddened by the news of this horrific shooting.

“In moments like these we remember the words of the psalmist, ‘God is our refuge and strength, a really present assist in trouble.’ (Psalm 46:1) Almighty God, we want You. We pray for Your comfort and for an abiding sense of Your presence to attract near as our nation grieves this loss. Amen.”

The lack of Kirk is being felt far across the opposite side of the Atlantic, with Finnish MP Päivi Räsänen, who was prosecuted for tweeting biblical views, paying tribute to him as “an exceptionally sharp and analytical conservative Christian influencer”.

“He engaged in open discussions with individuals who thought in another way – even seconds before his death, he was asked about transgender and mass shooting issues. A tragic loss, widely felt,” she said. 

Stephanie Davies-Arai, director of Transgender Trend, a bunch that advocates for an evidence-based response to transgenderism within the UK, said Kirk’s death was “horrifying” and “a black day for tolerance of open debate and freedom of speech”. 

Caroline Farrow, who has been targeted by trans activists over her critical stance, called it an “appalling attack on democracy”.