In the wake of the cold blooded assassination of Charlie Kirk, Christ’s words in Matthew 29:9-14 have echoed in my mind. In speaking to his disciples about the signs of the coming of the end of the age, he told them:
Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
The line in Jesus’ prophetic warning that stood out to me the most this week was verse 12, “the love of many will grow cold.” I used to read that line and wonder what that would look like. We have certainly seen it this week, not just in the shocking and very public killing of a 31-year-old husband and father, but in the cruel celebrating of some over his death. I can’t wrap my head around that level of callousness toward another human being, no matter what you feel about them. The cultural chill is beyond disturbing. What have we become?
But while the cooling of the love of some has been evident in recent years, and has reached a fever pitch in recent days— Charlie Kirk’s killing was one tragedy among several, including the Annunciation School Shooting and the brutal stabbing of young Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska on the train in Charlotte— another portion of Christ’s proclamation has been evident as well: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations” (verse 14).
Last night I watched Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, address the world. Her courage and faith were astonishing. But more than that, her heartrending statement was a beautiful testament that true followers of Jesus Christ seem to love him even more when they are buffeted by suffering. I believe that it was Elisabeth Elliot who said that suffering is like a black dog that drives the sheep to the shepherd. This is certainly true of Erika Kirk.
Charlie Kirk, in addition to being a champion for conservative thought, more than anything wanted the world to know about his Savior. He did not shy away from sharing his faith, despite vicious opposition. He did it calmly and confidently, knowing that some would follow him in his love of Christ. The opposition didn’t matter. He was steadfast. He said in an interview, “I am far more interested in what God wants of me than what I want from God.” Oh my, that was convicting. His mission was to stay on point for the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). Charlie Kirk was unashamed and unafraid to carry out Jesus’ last words to the world.
Erika Kirk wasted no time in continuing her husband’s mission, proclaiming it a mere two days after losing him. In her address last night, she passionately exclaimed, “You guys, God is so incredibly good! And I know that all things work together for the good of those who love him and are called according to his purpose [Romans 8:28].” Charlie and Erika Kirk see their faith for what it is: transcendent reality.
How Does Someone Love the Lord?
I have seen this level of faith time and again. From my good friend with cancer who claimed she wouldn’t trade her illness for the world because of what she learned about Christ, to my brother who stalwartly maintained his love for Jesus in the face of his son’s death from fentanyl. I know scoffers and skeptics mock this faith, wondering how in the world people could be so weak and self-deceived as to throw this level of affection toward something so seemingly intangible and even untenable. Others rail against God, calling him cruel and unfair. And indeed, without an understanding of who God is, the shooting of Charlie Kirk and the endless atrocities that have plagued the earth since time immemorial do seem cruel. People aways come back to the question, “How can a loving God allow suffering?”
The question of God’s cruelty or injustice is evidence of a profound misunderstanding of who God is. God was not created in our image. We were created in his. And we have failed him miserably. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Ezekiel 18:25 admonishes, “But you say, ‘The Lord’s way isn’t fair.’ Now listen, house of Israel: Is it my way that is unfair? Instead, isn’t it your ways that are unfair?” People who accuse God have the whole thing backwards.
How does someone love the Lord? By going to the Bible to learn who he is. By taking our eyes off of ourselves and the dark world around us and engaging in sober study of the One who created us. By reading biographies and testimonies of those who have gone before us. By taking the time to earnestly “Stand by the roadways and look. Ask about the ancient paths, ‘Which is the way to what is good?’ Then take it and find rest for yourselves” (Jeremiah 6:16). Because no matter what you may feel or think, there is only one reality. And it’s worth knowing. Charlie Kirk knew this and today he “knows fully as [he] is fully known” (1 Corinthians 13: 12).
The Only Reality
There is a gut-wrenchingly beautiful scene in the show The Chosen, where the disciple Thomas, after experiencing an agonizing personal tragedy, is crying out in anger over what has happened. He is crumpled on the ground in anguish, railing against his suffering. All at once, he rises from the ground and flies into the arms of Jesus. He is angry. He is questioning. But he also has apprehended a reality that transcends all else: Jesus is Lord. And this knowledge sent him running to Christ for comfort in his bewilderment and confusion.
The only reality in life is the preeminent goodness of God. His holiness is good. His absolute authority over all he has created is good. His love is good. His gospel is good. Even his wrath is good for those who have come to this conclusion. I join Charlie and Erika Kirk in proclaiming this reality. Because this world is fleeting, a vapor, a mist. And the question of faith is a very serious business.
If you have not considered or believed in the reality of Jesus Christ, this would be a great day to start. Eternity is where we shift our gaze, and for those who have embraced Christ, it is where we will see the vindication and eradication of loss, sorrow, pain, grief, and trial. Faith and trust will no longer be separated by mere (albeit, sure) hope, but joined in absolutes, with full sight and consummate understanding. And while we wait, we join with the Apostle John in declaring, “Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!” (Revelation 22:20).