A Response to Charlie Kirk's Assassination: a Christian Reflection on Good & Evil

Never in my life have I seen such a clear divide between good and evil, light and darkness, until a few days ago. Maybe it’s the influence of social media, or maybe it’s the sobering reality that I, a ’90s kid, am actually living through the assassination of a political figure I deeply respected.

The video of his death disturbed me in my soul. I wish it had been censored, but in many ways, it forced me to wrestle with uncomfortable questions about my own beliefs, values, my salvation, and the state of the world we’re living in.

The Hypocrisy of Public Reactions

What shocked me just as much as the tragedy itself was the reaction of people online. The same voices that cry out for inclusivity and equality were quick to make jokes, express relief, and in some cases celebrate. But if you look closely, what they’re really demanding is for you to be like them. To think, feel, and believe as they do.

Even stranger, when I posted RIP on my Instagram story, people reached out to question why, and warned me to “be careful who I support.” But what do they mean by that? I am already careful about who I support. I hold my thoughts captive to Christ. My beliefs are not random or impulsive. They are tested, prayed over, and intentionally brought into alignment with Him, not with the world.

Taking Thoughts Captive

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 10:2-6

“I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.”

As Christians, this is our call: to confront falsehoods, to test ideas, including our own, and bring them into alignment with Christ. Not with opinions. Not with culture. Not with feelings. With Christ.

Yes, I may not always have it right or change my mind about something, but that process must always involve prayer, introspection, and a desire to bring my opinions into alignment with Christ.

Called to Love Our Enemies

Jesus spoke clearly in Matthew 5:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbour and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

If you’ve been hurt or offended by someone’s actions, Jesus still calls you to respond with grace, not hatred. You may argue, “I didn’t hate them. I didn’t take revenge.” But if in your heart you feel relief, satisfaction, or view their death as karmic justice, then yes, you are guilty of harbouring hatred.

Jesus said that even lusting in your heart is adultery (Matthew 5:28). Intentions matter. God sees the heart, and our secret judgments condemn us just as much as outward actions.

Be Like Christ

Be like Christ. Be like Christ. Be like Christ.

If you don’t see that this is the message, where are your priorities as a believer? Are your ideologies, your identity in politics, gender, or race blinding you to the way God actually calls you to respond?

We are made in God’s image. And just as Jesus was persecuted and hated for speaking truth, I am beginning to taste, firsthand, what it means to be hated for what I believe. It has shaken me, but it has also lit this fire in me, reminding me that I need to be bold in my faith.

Paul writes again in 2 Corinthians 10:

“Though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”

Even as I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil. Instead, this tragedy has stirred something deeper in me: a desire to be even bolder with my faith, to stand more firmly in truth, and to be known for my beliefs, before anything else.

A Final Reflection

It saddens me that those who simply mourned Charlie’s death are being condemned by a heartless crowd. This isn’t about politics... it’s about the human heart, empathy, and how we as Christians are called to respond in love when the world responds with hate.

We are not justified in judgment, because we are not God. But we are commanded to love, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.