Our words are not just sounds with little meaning. They have the power of life and death within them (Proverbs 18:21). Words often reflect what our hearts are abundantly in love with. As we see in scripture our words are the overflow of our hearts (Luke 6:45, Matt. 12:34-35, Proverbs 4:23, Matt. 6:21).
My hope is that when you see Charlie Kirk’s death mourned in a way that exalts him as a perfect man, a Godly man, a man who loved Christ and advanced the kingdom of God, and then you see people who struggle with that, you pause, breathe, and ask why.” For most it is not because they hate God or Christians but its actually out of a deep love for scripture and God. We struggle with Charlie being exalted in that way because we have known a completely different side to him that is not easily reconciled to the way some people believed him to be.
We are trying to reconcile who Charlie made himself to be on his platforms with the person many are now praising as a Godly man. And we are weighing that against what we know from Scripture about what a Godly man truly looks like and acts like. There is a great discrepancy from our view of those two people being equal.
In the days since Charlie Kirk’s death, I have not found myself grieving the loss of him personally, but I have been in deep sorrow for what has followed. Sorrow at the way he has been amplified, celebrated, and even exalted as though he were flawless. Heartbroken at how those who do not join in mourning him are quickly vilified. And deeply hurt at the sight and thought that some celebrate his death, as if murder is cause for celebration. What weighs on me most is the growing divide. It feels deeper and sharper now than before, and this moment has revealed it plainly.
I want to be clear: I am not God, and I am not here to judge Charlie. What I am doing is comparing his words against the wisdom of Scripture. My hope is to invite fellow Christians to do the same, not only with Charlie’s words, but with every voice we hear. Scripture tells us to “test everything; hold fast to what is good” (1 Thessalonians 5:21). That is the posture I am writing from.
Proverbs 18:21 declares, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue” Words are rarely spoken with neutrality that would put them in the middle of these two categories, they are either building someone up or tearing them down. They are seeds, and over time those seeds grow into harvests that affect individuals, families, communities, and nations. Proverbs 12:18 goes further: “Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” Speech can pierce like a weapon or heal like medicine. The difference is not small and it should not be taken lightly. I have withheld from making any posts or writing anything publicly on this topic to intentionally pray and allow time for my heart to soften, so in my response, my words can be peace making and God honoring.
When I look back on Charlie Kirk’s public life, I see the fruit of division, hostility, and disdain directed toward people of color, women, immigrants, and the LGBTQ community. That fruit in my opinion is not aligned with the Spirit of Christ. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). That is not a call to self-righteous judgment, it is a sobering reminder that our witness is measured not by what we claim, but by what we produce. So I ask you to genuinely reflect: from what you have seen, what have Charlie’s words produced? What have they done to women, immigrants, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community? Were they life-giving?
At the same time, I must say this with humility. I do not know the eternal state of Charlie’s soul. That belongs to God alone. My prayer is always that grace reached him in ways unseen. But the visible fruit of his words compels me to tell a truth: they wounded many. And when the church praises him as a saint without flaw, it dishonors those who carried the weight of that harm. I know there are other truths out there and I don’t want to diminish those truths, but in not diminishing those truths we cannot ignore or belittle this truth.
Proverbs 15:4 says, “A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” That is the calling for all of us, on both sides, to use words as life-giving, healing, reconciling, and Christ-honoring. None of us are perfect in this, but that does not lower the bar. The gospel compels us to be people whose speech bears the fruit of peace, love, and justice.
As we reflect on Charlie Kirk’s legacy, my hope is not to stir anger, but to stir honesty. Words matter. Words carry eternal weight. And in a world filled with so much noise, Proverbs calls us to be people whose tongues plant trees of life.
May we choose our words with the wisdom of heaven, not the fury of our age.
- From your neighbor, a Christian who happens to be gay.