It is difficult to quantify Charlie Kirk’s impact on our nation. He was only 31 years old when he was gunned down while speaking at a college in Utah less than two months ago. To say his murder stunned the public is an understatement. It is truly one of the darkest moments in our history. Kirk wasn’t some elected official; he was a father and husband, and he didn’t deserve the harm that came to him. Yet, he was murdered in public while holding a respectful debate with college students.
For many, they’ll always remember where they were when they heard the news. We don’t yet know what Kirk’s long-term impact will look like. But we do know that in the aftermath of his death, his influence has been powerful.
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The sale of Bibles jumped 36% year over year in the month of September. We’ll never know just how many of those who purchased Bibles did so as a direct result of Kirk’s death, but we do know this: Kirk was well-known for his strong Christian faith and often talked about it publicly and unapologetically.
In speaking to the Wall Street Journal about the increase in Bible sales, Brenna Connor of Circana BookScan said, “September brought a wave of troubling events — violence, geopolitical tensions and economic uncertainty — underscoring a pattern: In times of crisis, more people turn to faith for comfort and support.”
During Kirk’s memorial service, his widow, Erika Kirk, delivered a powerful speech in her husband’s honor. In one of its most poignant moments, Erika said of the young man who killed her husband, “That man. That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love.”
Far too many people criticized Erika Kirk for her statements of forgiveness. But it was up to her alone whether she wanted to forgive her husband’s killer or not. By doing so, she presented a love that can only be described as beyond regular human capacity. Her faith, and Charlie’s faith, shone through.
So often when evildoers perpetrate violence, we’re told “thoughts and prayers” either don’t work or aren’t enough. Religious individuals, seeking comfort and asking for supplication, are routinely mocked for fixing their gaze heavenward and away from the chaos. But what other recourse is there?
There was no way to stop Charlie Kirk’s murder. It was the product of one young man’s hatred. If anything, horrific moments such as this show us how helpless we are. It is a reminder that there is so little we can actually control. And it’s unsurprising that there would be a surge toward God and faith.
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Far too many, fueled by hate brought on by mere disagreement, were gleeful after Kirk’s killing. If we as a society can’t roundly condemn the murder of even ideological opponents, then the moral fabric of our nation is frayed. Kirk’s murder and the celebratory reactions can easily produce a sense of vulnerability, and it is then that humans yearn for stability in the supernatural.
It will be years before the Charlie Kirk Effect is fully realized. His contributions as a political activist and focus on young people will continue on through his organization, TPUSA. The manner of his death and the aftermath have rocked and unsettled us. In the midst of the confusion, sorrow, and anger, more seem to be embracing faith. It’s a longing for something bigger than ourselves. Most of all, it’s a desire for comfort and direction in a world that increasingly feels devoid of them.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a contributor to the Magnolia Tribune.