A reminder of what following Christ means

Erika Kirk forgives ‘that young man’ charged with assassinating her husband

By Deacon Bob Hunt

This world, and our country at this time, is a violent, destructive, dehumanizing place. Even still, every once in a while, there is a moment of grace that reminds us of God’s love and challenges us to live up to the promises of the Gospel. One such moment took place on the evening of Sept. 21 at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service in Arizona.

I honestly don’t know a lot about Charlie Kirk. I have rarely listened to any of the plethora of videos on YouTube where he debates or discusses controversial topics with those who disagree with him. I’ve heard a lot about him recently, from both supporters and detractors. But I don’t have an opinion about him one way or the other because I just don’t know enough about him, except to say that he was a defender of free speech, a principle that is essential for our continued existence as a free people. It is disconcerting how many young people seem to think that free speech should be shut down, but only for those who disagree with them: www.cato.org/blog/new-polling-suggests-kids-are-not-alright-free-speech.

But all of that isn’t the point of this column because this column isn’t about Charlie Kirk. This column is about his widow, Erika Kirk, who gave to us one of those moments of grace I spoke of above. On the night of her husband’s memorial service, less than two weeks after he was savagely assassinated, Mrs. Kirk had the opportunity to speak about her husband, her love for her husband, the kind of man he was to her, and the kind of marriage they had. She did just that, and I thought she spoke well. No matter where you stand on Charlie Kirk, you cannot (I hope) begrudge a grieving widow the memories of the man she loved. (In the hours following Charlie Kirk’s senseless killing, police took into custody a young man and filed charges against him related to Mr. Kirk’s death.)

But Erika Kirk, a devout Catholic, did more than memorialize her husband. She did so much more. In a strong voice that did not shake, and after several deep breaths and repeating “that young man” in a low voice almost to herself, she told us that such a young man was exactly the type of young man her husband hoped to save from a meaningless, disjointed life. Then she announced with the conviction of a believer in Christ who believes what she is saying, “I forgive him.”

In that moment, Erika Kirk raised herself above all of the culture wars, all of the debates about policy, all the noise that the media and politicians create to keep us distracted from what matters, to speak about what matters. In that moment, too, she challenged us to put the teachings of Jesus front and center in our own lives by putting it front and center in hers. When asked by Simon Peter if forgiving another seven times was sufficient, Jesus said, “No, not seven times, but seventy times seven times.” In other words, forgive until there’s nothing left to forgive.

Firmly convinced of her husband being held now in the arms of his Savior, she was able to let go of the bitterness and rage toward “that young man” she must have felt in her heart when she first heard the news of what had happened. Being able to let the bitterness and rage go, what was left was compassion for a soul so wounded and confused that he came to the conclusion that killing another was the only way he could find peace in this world. This is the algorithm of our generation: You disagree with me, I kill you. That has become the solution for so many wrinkled souls trapped in the grip of an ideology, a demon, really, that demands an abiding allegiance to its dark thoughts and divisive actions. “We cannot live in this world together,” the demon says. “Your very existence is contrary to mine because you cannot, will not, see it my way.”

Just yesterday, the same demon demanded that another wrinkled soul carry out his hatred for Mormons by driving his truck through the front door of their church in Grand Blanc, Mich., firing his gun into the congregation, then setting the church on fire. At least four were killed and dozens more injured. He hated Mormons. We don’t know why, yet. But does it matter? In his twisted mind, he was convinced that he and they could not occupy the same planet, so it was going to be them who would be sacrificed, and he would do the sacrificing. One of the victims was 6 years old. What does a 6-year-old contribute to your anger? How is killing him or her going to set the world on a course more attuned to your small thinking?

My prediction? The killing will continue. We are applying all the wrong answers and all the wrong policies toward stopping the killing, so it will continue. We think fewer guns and more gun laws will stop the killing. We think greater access to guns for “good people” will stop the killing. None of that will work.

What will work? Remembering, once again, that every human person is made in the image and likeness of God. We live in a pluralistic society, among people who think differently and believe differently. What do we owe to each other in that pluralistic society? The respect afforded one who is made in the image and likeness of God. That is, before anything else, what we owe to each other. We must embrace the truth of the imago Dei in each of us, the image of God in each of us. Somehow, we have lost that. Today, what is first in many people’s minds is whether someone sees the world the same way they do. And if he or she doesn’t, then too often the response is, “I want nothing to do with you. Your views are a threat to me. People like you shouldn’t be allowed to speak, vote, live peaceably … exist.”

She forgives him. Why? Because it was what Christ did. Because, after all is said and done, she is a woman who is able to see the imago Dei, even in the person of her husband’s murderer. She is a follower of Christ who wants to follow Christ’s example of forgiveness. That is a lesson this society needs to hear. That is a lesson the Church needs to embody. Thank you, Erika Kirk, for reminding us of what following Christ means, and for having the courage to speak it boldly for the whole world to hear.

Be Christ for all. Bring Christ to all. See Christ in all.

Deacon Bob Hunt is a husband, father, grandfather, and parishioner at All Saints Church in Knoxville.