(TSN): "911, what's your emergency?"
Caller: Too many people are dying from gun violence in America.
In the 24 hours since a lone gunman assassinated Charlie Kirk in Utah, the nation stands at a deafening crossroads where two political sides are shouting past each other instead of listening. Kirk, credited with delivering the youth vote that helped secure President Donald Trump’s 2024 victory, lived his life publicly as both an activist and a media personality.
He tried to lead by example, offering his philosophy about the culture wars in debates with strangers on college campuses and online. Kirk often said that conversations with people holding opposing views were not only a way to exercise freedom of speech, but also a way to avoid fighting. His words now linger with haunting irony, splashed across the cover of the New York Post:
“What we have to get back to is being able to have a reasonable disagreement where violence is not an option.”
Just before his tragic end, he was answering a question before an audience of 3,000 at Utah Valley University in Orem about the number of transgender people who commit gun crimes.
Freedom of speech is what Charlie Kirk stood for. He also stood for using media to spread his often controversial views. He traveled the country to challenge audiences, daring them to prove him wrong. On his podcast, which aired on the Christian TV network TBN, he blended politics and religion. A born-again Christian, Kirk folded his faith into his activism. But his narratives often deepened divides between left and right. Like many conservative media personalities, he carved out a branch of White nationalist thought that targeted MAGA youth, raising up the next generation of “America First” evangelists.
When Kirk was killed yesterday, parts of his base seemed emboldened to double down on divisive messages rather than lean into the message of Christ that might evoke healing.
From Charlottesville to Jan. 6, research shows right-wing extremists have been responsible for the majority of political violence incidents and fatalities over the last decade, especially when looking at deadly attacks. This current of fear—fueled by conservative politicians, alt-right media influencers, and the religious right—manifests in hatred toward Jews, Christians, Muslims, LGBTQ people, and others. Violence becomes an outlet for those terrified of annihilation or replacement, desperate for power and control.
Yet Kirk himself warned of violence coming from the left. In the spring, he posted a survey about the risk of leftists targeting high-profile conservatives.
“Assassination culture is spreading on the left. The left is being whipped into a violent frenzy. Any setback, whether losing an election or losing a court case, justifies a maximally violent response,” he wrote.
Still, his death has unleashed a torrent of blame from both parties. Democrats argue that Republican rhetoric on guns and extremism fuels bloodshed. “We cannot keep ignoring the role of right-wing propaganda in normalizing violence,” said Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). Republicans counter that liberal policies enable crime. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) said, “The left has created a culture of lawlessness. Defund-the-police, soft-on-crime prosecutors, and constant attacks on conservatives—this is what happens.” The two parties are locked in a bitter blame game that has done little to stop bullets from flying.
On Capitol Hill, voices of compassion also broke through. Congressman Al Green (D-TX) delivered an emotional speech in the House chamber:
“I want his wife and children to know that I am saddened by his demise. It is painful. I regret that it happened and if I could have prevented it from happening, I would have.”
He emphasized that Kirk died innocently, for nothing more than exercising free speech. The words carried weight coming from a Black man. Kirk had previously disparaged BLack women and pilots as well as spread falsehoods about George Floyd’s death. Green did not hold it against him. He instead recognized their shared Creator.
Across the nation, students at Liberty University held a vigil where Kirk had once planted seeds of activism. They sang hymns, embraced each other for strength, and prayed for his family and the nation. This, they said, is how the faithful fight their battles: on their knees in prayer.
Some Americans believe a demonic spirit is looming over the U.S. given the rise in political violence. A September 2024 study from the Public Religion Research Institute found that 24% of Republicans and 27% of Trump-aligned Republicans supported political violence if they believed an election was “compromised by voter fraud.” In contrast, 15% of independents and 10% of Democrats agreed.
From a spiritual perspective, the question is not whether one party is more evil than the other. Evil is not partisan. People make choices—and sometimes act on their beliefs in terrible ways.
Can we stand together spiritually even when divided politically? That is the question facing the church, the state, and the people.
It appears those who saw Kirk's beliefs and principles as wrong are expected to accept that he was killed over exercising free speech. Words have power and have been used in movements to galvanize people to outcomes that are detrimental to some. Perhaps this is what some Americans who condemn his language understand.
My hope is that Black Christians—and all people of faith—will seek God for strength to endure internal and external attacks in society. Prayer is a necessary posture in times of crisis. America is our shared home, and we are called to pray for its peace.
Ultimately, division and hatred come from individuals who place politics above people and politicians above God. To begin healing, both sides must lay down their weapons—rhetorical and literal—and unite around human pain and suffering before it is too late.
This is not only about justice for Charlie Kirk. It is about condemning gun violence for all victims—from schools, theaters, mosques, and churches—and having compassion for everyone regardless of race or politics. It is also not about Left and Right but RIGHT and WRONG. To think that Charlie Kirk exhibited mostly Chrisr-like behavior is wrong. He received and gave verbal punches and only seened to care about converting people to his way of thinking. This was not the example of Christ.
Kirk’s death is both a warning against inflammatory rhetoric and weaponized language. His assassination is a referendum on cancel culture and political extremism that has caused America’s deep divides.
In the end, Scripture reminds us in Ephesians 4:26-27: “In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Violence is never the answer. With every right comes responsibility, and with every grievance comes a choice—to heal or to destroy.