It’s Right to Mourn and Celebrate Charlie Kirk: Why His Death Feels Personal
On September 10, 2025, the Christian community lost Charlie Kirk, the 31-year-old founder of Turning Point USA, to an assassination—a truth I don’t think we need to sanitize.
It’s right to mourn Charlie, to celebrate his life, to feel this loss so deeply, and to be inspired by his story, despite the troubling reactions at his death from some.
Charlie Kirk’s Life Is Worth Celebrating
Charlie Kirk was a Christian leader worth celebrating. I admired him greatly for not only his public influence, but the faith and integrity he held even behind the scenes.
At just 31, he was a gifted communicator whom God gave a platform to educate, challenge, rally, and even preach to the masses. He was as bold as a lion in his calling.
Through Turning Point USA, he inspired countless young people to embrace faith and a biblical worldview. His life, though short, echoed Corrie ten Boom’s words: “Life is not measured by its duration, but by its donation.”
Why His Death Feels So Personal
Charlie Kirk’s death feels personal because he was part of the family of God. And even though you may have never met him, we, as Christians, are all part of that same family.
The Bible says about the body of Christ, “if one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it” (1 Corinthians 12:26 NLT). We lost a member of that body and a leader within it—this is, in fact, personal for us.
So it’s appropriate to mourn.
Mourning Is Right and Biblical
As Christians, we sometimes just want to say, “He’s in heaven, safely in the arms of Jesus,” and while that’s true, there is a place for mourning. Ecclesiastes 3 tells us “To everything there is a season. . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (verses 1 and 4 NKJV). It is right and necessary that we mourn the loss of this remarkable young man; not only because he was part of us, but because mourning is biblical.
It’s more than troubling that some people are saying Charlie Kirk’s death is a good thing. The Bible says “What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark. . .” (Isaiah 5:20 NKV). For those of us with hearts, we’re hurting.
We grieve for his young family—his wife, Erika, and their two children, who face a future without him.
But while we should mourn, we must then take action.
This Is Our Turning Point
After the death of the first martyr Stephen, persecution scattered all the church except the apostles. We read that in Scripture and we think, “what a horrible thing,” but God used it for good.
They were doing what Jesus said to them after the day of Pentecost, “‘And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth’” (Acts 1:8 NLT). See, they were forced to spread out and take the gospel with them.
In the same way, I think Charlie Kirk’s death can be a turning point for the church and our world.
Be Bolder for Christ
Our reaction to Charlie’s death reveals something. . . This can rally the reluctant and reveal the complacent. Some will rise, others will shrink. The faithful will rise, while the lukewarm will fade.
Young people, this can be your moment. Stop trying to fit in and be cool. Choose to stand up and be courageous, just like Charlie.
We never know when our life will end, so we must make each day count. In the words of Jim Elliot, “I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus.”
I am disappointed by the pastors who have said very little or nothing about this in their pulpits. I think we should celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk and the sacrifice he has made; we should let it inspire us to be just as bold in what God has called us to do.
It’s time to stand up and speak, it’s time to be bold. The Lord says, “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua 1:9 NKJV).
This could be your Jesus Revolution, young people. Christians must step out of complacency and into a commitment to be bold and strong in their faith like never before.
Despite this tragedy, we are praying for good. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose” (NKJV). I pray this story inspires many others to give glory to God.
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Learn more about Pastor Greg Laurie
