TURNING POINT: Charlie Kirk Memorial Brings Unity

Yesterday millions of Christians across the U.S. and around the world tuned into a live broadcast of Charlie Kirk’s memorial service from Arizona’s State Farm Stadium where popular gospel artists and speakers – including Vice President JD Vance and President Donald Trump – and tens of thousands of supporters paid tribute to the late conservative leader who was assassinated less than two weeks ago on a college campus.

As reported by Fox News:

Between 90,000 and 100,000 people flocked to State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, on Sunday to honor the legacy of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, according to local law enforcement crowd estimates.

People traveled from across the country and waited in line for hours outside the stadium before the doors [opened]. The 63,400-seat stadium quickly filled with people dressed in red, white and blue, as organizers suggested. Some people had to be turned away as the venue reached capacity.

The emotional five-hour service saw speakers, including Kirk’s widow Erika Kirk, President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other Trump administration officials.

“He’s a martyr now for America’s freedom,” Trump said in his tribute. “I know I speak for everyone here today when I say that none of us will ever forget Charlie. And neither now will history.”

It was a very powerful event, and it was hard to escape all day, as it seemed like everyone was watching it. Even people who might have been ambivalent to Charlie Kirk before all of this are now paying attention. They’re upset about what happened, and some are getting involved. Many believe that we’re experiencing a spiritual revival in the aftermath of this horrible murder. 

VP Vance addressed the crowd and gave a personal example of that renewed spirit of faith in the wake of Charlie’s death:

You know, I was telling somebody backstage that I always felt a little uncomfortable talking about my faith in public. As much as I loved the Lord and as much as it was an important part of my life, I have talked more about Jesus Christ in the past two weeks than I have my entire time in public life. And that is an undeniable legacy of the great Charlie Kirk.

You know, he loved God, and because he loved God, he wanted to understand God’s creation, and the men and women made in his image. Now much has been said over the last week about Charlie’s ability to approach any topic, any person in good faith, an achievement that was only possible because Charlie knew that we were all children of God.

He knew deep down the truth of Scripture and from that confidence, everything else flowed. That unshakable belief in the Gospel led him to see differences in opinion not as battlefields to conquer, but as way stations in the pursuit of truth. He knew it was right to love others, your neighbor, your interlocutor, your enemy. But he also understood his duty to say what is right and what is wrong, to distinguish what is false from what is true.

But the VP was also quick to point out that Kirk would encourage his supporters not to sit and sulk but to use this moment to the glory of God:

I also think he would encourage me, he would encourage all of us to focus on the good. He would encourage us to remember that for every hateful voice celebrating his murder, there are a thousand people mourning it and fighting for his legacy every single day. He would tell me to pray. I’m certain of it. He would tell me to pray for my friends, but also for my enemies. He would tell me to put on the full armor of God and get back to work.

But it’s fair to say it was Charlie’s widow, Erika Kirk, who floored much of the watching world when she proclaimed forgiveness for her husband’s alleged assassin:

My husband, Charlie. He wanted to save young men, just like the one who took his life. That young man. That young man on the cross. Our Savior said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” That man. That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did in his. What Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the Gospel is love and always love. 

We pray that Charlie’s message continues to spread, and this horrific act will indeed be the catalyst for a real spiritual revival across America and the world.

Today’s Sekulow broadcast included more discussion of the Charlie Kirk memorial service with my brother, ACLJ Executive Director Jordan Sekulow. We were also joined by ACLJ Senior Counsel for International and Government Affairs Jeff Ballabon, live from Jerusalem, to discuss the news that the UK, Australia, and Canada have announced they will recognize a “Palestinian” state in a blatant betrayal of Israel – and what that means to the rest of the world. The move has already been applauded by Hamas, which should tell you everything you need to know.

Watch the full broadcast below: