The United States is still grappling with the aftermath of the tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. Many are grieving. Many are cheering or approving of Kirk’s murder. Many are still a bit in shock. Most are probably focused on other things at this point. Many want to move on. But…
The public nature of the murder of Charlie Kirk and the fact that it rocked American politics and set social media on fire — it all makes it impossible to simply move on. Indeed, the very nature of how Americans are still reacting to and processing Kirk’s murder and reflecting on his legacy is spurring even more conversations and reactions.
None of this is to suggest that Kirk’s life is inherently more valuable than the lives of others who have passed away in recent weeks. God is no respector of persons. We are all made in the image of God. Still, Kirk’s murder and how we’re dealing with it as a country is a milestone event in recent American history. There’s no way around that and no way to deny it.
Side note: If you want to know what I said about Charlie Kirk’s assassination, you can watch my sermon here and read my September 11, 2025, blog post here.
On September 21, there was a memorial service for Kirk in Glendale, Arizona, attended by tens of thousands of supporters. Of course, this is in addition to all the other events for Kirk – large and small – held around the country.
I’m thankful that many voices at the memorial pointed us toward hope, faith, and healing – perhaps none more so than Kirk’s widow, Erika, who publicly forgave her husband’s killer. Wow. How many of us could do that?
But sadly…
In his remarks, President Donald Trump said plainly that he hates his opponents. And while I understand the deep frustration many Americans feel toward political opposition—and the raw emotions that come with grief and loss—that is not a statement that should go unchallenged, especially in a memorial service where millions of Christians were watching.
I suspect I will draw some criticism for this post, especially from my right-leaning and certainly Trump-supporting friends. But…
What the president said contradicts not only what Erika said, but it (most importantly) contradicts Jesus!
It is not my desire to take political sides here. This isn’t about left or right. It’s about light or darkness. As Christians, we are not permitted to hate—not even our enemies.
“Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you…”
—Matthew 5:43–44 (KJV)
Jesus made it clear: hatred in our hearts is a serious offense. He connected it directly to the Sixth Commandment—not just in behavior, but in spirit.
I know the vice president has suggested that President Trump was joking. Sorry. I don’t buy it. And, even if that’s true, are we seriously going to say it was appropriate to “joke” like that — at a memorial service!?
Of course, this is where we get into our silly political binaries and nonsense tribalism. For some people, to criticize Donald Trump is the equivalent of siding with the Democrats or the left or whatever. Just stop.
The moment you elevate a person above criticism, you are effectively worshiping that person. No politician today is worthy of our worship. Only Jesus is worthy of our worship.
To use a baseball analogy, we Christians need to be able to call balls and strikes based on God’s standards. And if that means criticizing people who are part of our political “tribe,” so be it! Who is your first love? Where is your primary allegiance?
Donald Trump is wrong to hate his enemies. Plain and simple. He’s wrong. And it is so disappointing that he would use that memorial service to express that hatred–at a time when we, as Americans, need our president to call us to (in the words of Abraham Lincoln) the “better angels of our nature.”
This is not about pointing fingers or scoring points. It’s about reminding the church—we are not to conform to the rage and rhetoric of this world. We are called to be salt and light. And yes, we are called to love our enemies. That doesn’t mean we agree with them. It doesn’t mean we stop speaking truth. But it does mean we don’t return hate for hate.
“Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
—Romans 12:21 (KJV)
Let us be people of grace in an age of anger. Let us love when the world says hate. And let us pray for our leaders—all of them, even the ones we disagree with (1 Timothy 2:1–2). We can do no less as followers of Jesus.
Thank you for Reading!
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