Friday, September 12, Erica Kirk stepped into the empty Turning Point USA podcast studio with a brief message for the country in response to the brutal assassination of her husband. In what must have been a wrenching experience on camera, the young widow of Charlie Kirk rose to the occasion by speaking from the heart. Reminiscent of Jackie Kennedy stepping off Air Force One in a bloody designer ensemble because “[S]he wanted them to see what they had done,” the young mother of two small children took the opportunity to send some choice words to the nation. This public appearance came only a few short days after America and the world had witnessed her 31-year-old husband's vicious and untimely demise.
First, she wanted everyone to know who Charlie Kirk was beyond just the founder and creator of the wildly successful nonprofit organization, Turning Point USA. Her initial message was simple yet profound: “Charlie always said that when he was gone, he wanted to be remembered for his courage and for his faith.”
With great poise and strength, she went on to paint a personal portrait of the man she loved and lost by describing his relationship with the God who had saved him, his appreciation of God’s creation in nature, his mission to tell the truth to young people, and even his devotion to the Chicago Cubs and Oregon Ducks. It was poignant yet painful to digest. But then she got feisty, and it seemed in perfect pitch to the violence that took away her husband’s life and shattered her world.
Erika Kirk: Unbowed and Unafraid
At times, the young widow choked back tears to maintain her composure. However, there were moments when she was able to summon sheer will and determination to issue words of warning to those who feared Charlie’s power and success in speaking on college campuses. “If you thought that my husband's mission was powerful before you have no idea. You have no idea what you just have unleashed across this entire country in this world,” she asserted.
Left Behind and Making Heaven Crowded
Part of Mrs. Kirk’s message was to those left behind, which is always the most challenging part of grief. In trying to explain “Daddy’s death” to her three-year-old, she spoke in Christian terms. “I said, baby daddy loves you so much. Don't you worry. He's on a work trip with Jesus so he can afford your blueberry budget.” Then addressing her deceased spouse, she continued, “And my goodness, am I so humbled to witness Charlie, you alongside Jesus right now doing what you always want to do, baby – making heaven crowded, right? That's what it's all about.”
To those who are not Christians, this last statement may have been somewhat confusing. Making heaven crowded means using your life to advance the Gospel of Jesus – something Charlie Kirk certainly did. However, the hard part – being “left behind”– comes with both earthly and eschatological connotations.
Eschatology, or the study of end times, is a doctrine that deals with the final judgment of mankind and the destiny of those left on earth. Often called the Rapture, it most often refers to Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians in Chapter four and verses 15 – 17 (1Thes 4:15 - 17):
“According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever (NIV).”
Whether looking through the prism of the Rapture or doing God’s work on earth, being “left behind” is no easy task. While Christians know in their heart and soul that their loved one is experiencing his or her reward, they must carry on with God’s work here on earth. As a believer, Mrs. Kirk is preparing herself – and perhaps others – to keep the faith despite circumstances and keep doing God’s work, something she spelled out for those who stand in opposition to the mission of Turning Point USA.
“The evildoers responsible for my husband’s assassination have no idea what they have done,” she said. Then she dropped the hammer: “They killed Charlie because he preached a message of patriotism, faith, and of God’s merciful love.” Then with passion she explained, “You have no idea the fire you have ignited within his wife, the cries of this widow will echo around the world like a battle cry. To everyone listening tonight across America, the movement my husband built will not die. It won’t, I refuse to let that happen.”
And in a tender yet heartbreaking moment, Erika Kirk vowed, “No one will ever forget my husband’s name. I will make sure of it.” Such passion and poise from someone so young and still reeling from waves of grief is a powerful message to all those who valued Charlie Kirk’s mission to educate young people through civil discourse. And while his unique voice will be missed, his wife and perhaps millions of others whose lives he touched will never be silenced.
