"They have no idea what they have unleashed." Erika Kirk upon the assassination of her husband, Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point

 

After Charlie Kirk was murdered in cold blood, it was discovered that his killer was living with a man who was trying to change into a woman. While it is clear that Charlie Kirk was an outspoken opponent of this practice due to his being an adherent to God's Word, it was also clear that he had attempted for many years to always discuss this subject with thoughtfulness, kindness, and respect towards those who disagreed. Though his conversation on this subject was always temperate, his opponents tried to paint him as a man who simply hated them. And while it is clear that he had no speech that would support that claim, one within that community decided the thing to do was to kill him. Since they couldn't win the argument, they decided to end the life of the one who presented the other side of that argument. So, one of them did end his life, and a surprising number within that community openly celebrated.

 

I believe that Charlie Kirk's widow stated it best when she said they (speaking of those who supported this murder) have no idea what they have unleashed. She went on to say that she believed this killing would not silence Charlie's movement but would have the opposite effect of energizing the Turning Point cause, and I believe that she is right in this. And for the most part, I am convinced it will be a good thing. Having said that I do believe that those involved with this cause should exercise some caution, for I believe this assassination has created a tipping point that does not come along very often. And, as is often the case of tipping points, the "tipping" can go in either a good direction or a bad one.

 

Perhaps two examples of similar crossroads moments in America's not too distant past will help explain what I mean.

 

On September 11, 2001, an attack on America brought down the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, taking about 4,000 innocent lives. We were told that it was the work of Islamic extremists, and for a while such extremism was held in utter contempt. It wasn't too long, though, before intellectual thought began to counsel that such contempt was unwarranted, and the pendulum gradually swung the other way. Immigration into America and Europe began in earnest, with large numbers of people of the Islamic faith pouring into these countries. What had once been considered a reasonable exercise of caution, was now considered to be nothing short of racism and Islamophobia... and the tide was turned.

 

In addition to that, people in high places within our own government, both elected and mere bureaucrats, began to exercise powers that would give them incredible control over their own citizens. Privacy, freedom, and great sums of wealth were extracted from her citizens, and the people in power simply continued to crave (and get) more and more of this power. In a purported attempt to protect her citizens, many within the government worked tirelessly to enslave the very ones they claimed to serve. 

 

And the tipping point tipped in the wrong direction.

 

And then there was the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in April of 1968. I was only seven at the time, but I can remember the unrest that this brutal murder created all across our nation. And while there were certainly some strides made towards a real equality among the races, this moment also served as a catalyst to allow hatreds on both sides to come out into the open, and even more so that it already had. Further, there were politicians and even so-called "preachers" who seized this opportunity to take power (and wealth) for themselves. 

 

And this tipping point, though leaning for the greatest part in the right direction, sowed the seeds for those who would later use it to divide a nation for their own selfish and often wicked purposes.

 

So, what lessons can we learn from these events? 

 

First, I believe that we should be extremely cautious over whom we give power and support to during this time. Charlie Kirk appeared to be a humble man who was absolutely sincere in his commitment to bring young people out of a sinful lifestyle and into a proper relationship with Christ Jesus our Lord. But we must be vigilant to those who would now take advantage of the void Charlie Kirk's death has created. There will be many, many sincere people who just want to take part in this modern revival of Christianity, but there will be more than a few who will seek to obtain power and wealth from this opportunity due to their wicked motives. I'm not saying that we become cynical about everyone's motives, I'm just saying we should be cautious.

 

The second caution is to be on guard against our own government. There are already those on both sides of the political aisle who are seeking to reduce our First and Second Amendment rights, and these officials must be met with strong opposition. The idea of "hate speech" is a fairly modern invention and has always served to restrict rights that are clearly laid out in the Constitution. I for one am extremely opposed to hate speech and have little regard for those who speak it, but I have observed that hate speech always is defined by those who are in charge, and I have rarely been impressed with the results of such people's efforts. And as for the Second Amendment, I think all Americans would be well reminded that this amendment was put in place to protect the citizens from despotic governments, and not the other way around. 

 

Having said that, I do wholeheartedly agree with Erika Kirk's comment as to the perverse in our society having no idea what they have unleashed. I believe this is an opportunity that should embolden Christians to speak the truth in love. This means that we remember Christ's purpose when we are preaching - it is to convince the very people that He loved enough to die for to repent of their wicked ways. This will mean that Christians need to stop relying on their favorite preachers and pastors for their religious instruction and begin to turn to God's Word for their direction. So, if we want to take advantage of this tipping point, we are necessarily going to have become students (and adherents) of God's Holy Word. 

 

We must be warned that this will be hard! Soo, too, is everything that is worthwhile.

 

It also means that we are going to start having compassion for those who are in violation of God's righteous commandments without compromising on these commands. Homosexuality is still a sin, no matter how much people are convinced otherwise. It has no greater penalty than the one reserved for people who are bigots or gossips, but it has no less of a penalty either. An important lesson that all would-be followers of Christ have to learn is that sin separates us from God, and that it is God who sets the standard. Not popular opinion or the loudest voices, but God alone. We need to love and respect Him enough to stand firm upon His Word. We can do that without being hateful, but we also must do so without compromise.

 

Perhaps one more thing should be noted. Charlie Kirk's "Turning Point" ministry did not become "big" overnight. Neither then, should you expect your efforts to have an immediate, "big" effect. But you can be sure of this: One of the most basic tenants of the Christian faith is to seek and save the lost. If we do this with a respect towards the truth and a love for God and our fellow man, we will do well. Do not expect this movement to be easy, for Satan's followers will not play by the same rules as will God's children, so get ready for opposition.

 

But we can take encouragement in two things: Those who have gone before us have already done much of the heavy lifting, and the One who is in us is still more powerful than the one who is in this world. So, let's take full advantage that this terrible event has "unleashed" and use it all for the benefit of those we love and for the ultimate glory of God.