Horror, Holiness, & Hope: The week we lost Charlie Kirk

This was a horrible week. We lost Charlie Kirk, founder and president of Turning Point USA. He was just 31 years old. As a parent, the enormity of this tragedy hit me as I discussed it with my children. There was nothing I could do to spare them the shock, the sorrow, and the pain. There is no going around the valley of the shadow of death—just the journey through it. Yet we have someone who walks that valley with us. His name is Jesus.

The Presence of the Holy

Charlie Kirk is admirable for so many reasons. He was a loving father, a compelling leader, an underestimated tactician, and a generational communicator. Among these many virtues, the one for which I am most grateful is his consistent authentic witness for Jesus. Even as he did so much good, he made it clear that his relationship to God was based entirely on Jesus—not the good things he was doing in the world. Psalm 24:3 says, “Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place?” Charlie was confident that Jesus ascended the hill of the Lord for him, and that because of Jesus he could be holy before God. He shared this over and over again—and he’s not done sharing as his voice continues to reverberate online. Here is one collection of clips of Charlie pointing to Jesus.

Charlie’s Hope and Ours

What made Charlie special wasn’t just his passion for conservative principles, but how he lived them out. In an era when political discourse often devolves into shouting matches and personal attacks, Charlie modeled something different. He believed his tour of college campuses was fostering debates foundational to the nation’s basic constitutional rights. Even in hostile environments, he engaged with grace, conviction, and respect for those who challenged his views.

Charlie understood that winning hearts and minds isn’t about defeating your opponents; it’s about demonstrating the truth and goodness of your convictions through how you treat others. He showed us that we can stand firmly for our values and ideals while still respecting those who disagree with us.

I have always been amazed by his cheerfulness. For many people, debating ideas can be a severe process. Not so for Charlie. He showed that you can disagree respectfully—even joyfully. There are, of course, many examples of this. One of my favorites is the discussion Charlie had with California Governor Gavin Newsom. Here is the link to that interview. A word of warning: if you decide to watch it, you might want to be intentional about your surroundings. Governor Newsom doesn’t always use professional language or language that is appropriate for children.

Charlie’s way works. We need an Arizona where everyone can thrive, where we can have passionate debates about important issues without hating the other side. We can disagree strongly about policy while still loving our neighbors. We can fight for our convictions while refusing to demonize those who see things differently.

As we move forward, let’s commit to following Charlie’s example. Let’s engage in the public square with conviction but also with civility. Let’s debate ideas vigorously but treat people with dignity. Let’s stand for truth while extending grace. Let’s remember that every person, including those who disagree with us most strongly, is created in the image of God and deserving of respect.

The best way to honor Charlie Kirk’s memory is to prove that his way works, that civil discourse is possible, that we can disagree without being disagreeable, and that love really can conquer hate.

Charlie is best known for his voice on political and cultural issues on college campuses. It is now becoming clear that he was also one of the most prolific campus evangelists of his time. One of my favorite discussions about Charlie’s commitment to campus evangelism is this discussion that he hosted with Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle.

A Time for Prayer and Resolve

God hears our prayers. Together, let’s continue to pray for Charlie’s family, friends, and everyone at Turning Point USA. Let’s pray for healing in our nation. Let’s pray for wisdom as we navigate these turbulent times. And let’s pray that God would use even this tragedy to draw hearts back to Him and toward each other.

I’m especially praying for revival on our Nation’s college campuses–that God would dynamically draw millions of young people to Himself.

Charlie was the brightest light when our Country needed it most. He lived out his faith in God courageously, a powerful demonstration of how one person can make a difference. And his example continues to speak.

In Arizona and across America, together let’s have the courage to follow that example. Please join us in choosing love over hate, grace over vengeance, and civil discourse over political violence. That would be the greatest tribute we could give to Charlie Kirk’s remarkable life.

Taking a Stand for Donor Privacy

On Thursday, the Arizona Supreme Court held oral arguments in an important lawsuit brought by CAP, the Arizona Free Enterprise Club, and anonymous donors. Here is the joint statement of CAP and the other organizations that worked together to stand for the constitutional rights of donors. Here is a media account from the oral argument. And here is the audio of my statement during the press conference after the argument had concluded.

SAVE THE DATE! Equipping Parents for the Challenges of the Online World

There is still time to sign up for the webinar on September 23 with family digital safety expert Chris McKenna from Protect Young Eyes. If you don’t know Chris’s work yet, here is a short example of how he equips parents to address the recent rise in violent images online. You can sign up for the webinar here.

ESA Facts Straight from Jenny Clark

Jenny Clark with Love Your School sets the record straight on Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts. She tackles the myths, shows how ESAs save taxpayers money, provide critical support for special needs students, and are more accountable than critics admit. Watch the entire 12NEWS interview with Troy Hayden here.

New This Week

Engage Arizona at SoConCon 25: Building Bridges Between Church and State with Greg Baker

In our final installment of Engage Arizona at SoConCon 25, Bob Trent talks with Greg Baker, founding director of the Church Ambassador Network, about connecting pastors and government leaders to strengthen communities. Greg shares how partnerships in Iowa, Pennsylvania, and Arizona are reducing foster care placements, addressing addiction, and reminding leaders of God’s presence. Discover how this movement is bridging churches and legislators nationwide and what’s next for its growth.

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