A Short Life Well Lived: A Tribute to Charlie Kirk
This last week was a hard one. A senseless murder on a Charlotte light rail train. A school shooting in Denver. Remembering 9/11 after twenty-four years. And the shocking news of the assassination of thirty-one-year-old Charlie Kirk.Charlie’s sudden and tragic death hit like a thunderclap. It felt unthinkable, unfair, and deeply grievous. Many people have since shared their thoughts about Charlie and the influence he had with the youth of America. Some knew him personally. Many knew him from his work on college campuses across the country, where he debated students and challenged them to defend their positions on the big issues of the day: abortion, homosexuality, free speech, transgenderism, school shootings, and more.
What made Charlie unique was not just his courage to walk into the lion’s den of ideological hostility. It was his willingness to hand the microphone to his opponents, give them time to articulate their position, and listen carefully. Then—deftly, firmly, in a straight-forward manner, and sometimes aggressively—he would dismantle their arguments one by one. He was bold, but not brash. Confident, but not cruel. He could get feisty and ruffle feathers in his debates. And he tended to be intense because he was so passionate about the subject matter.
Earlier this summer, I listened to a Jordan Peterson podcast where Charlie was a guest (Episode #542). The conversation primarily covered the history of Turning Point USA—the non-profit Charlie started when he was just eighteen years old with the help of his mentor Bill Montgomery. I remember being struck not just by the story itself, but by Charlie’s clear sense of mission.
I never had the privilege of meeting Charlie in person, but I did follow and support his organization. From my vantage point, three things stand out about his life that are worth remembering.
Charlie Cherished His Family
When I heard the heartbreaking news, my first thoughts and prayers immediately went to his wife and two young children. What a devastating loss for them.
Charlie was a family man. He loved and cherished his wife. He delighted in his children. And although he had a significant public presence with a large social media following, he went out of his way to protect his family’s privacy. For example, I can’t recall ever seeing the faces of his kids online. That wasn’t accidental—it was intentional. He wanted to shield them from the harsh spotlight of political and cultural battles.
He was living out the very message he shared on campuses: get married, have children, and raise them to love God with all their heart. Charlie understood that building a strong family was not only personally fulfilling but also culturally transformative.
Charlie Valued Education
Ironically, Charlie didn’t finish college. After a short stint, he dropped out to pursue political activism. He famously called college a scam. Some might assume this meant he didn’t value education, but nothing could be further from the truth.
Those who knew him well consistently describe him as extraordinarily intelligent. Eric Metaxas once called him a “savant,” and even said he wouldn’t be surprised if Charlie one day became President of the United States. So, how did a man without a degree become such an effective thinker, communicator, and leader?
Two reasons come to mind.
- Charlie was a voracious reader. He constantly consumed books, articles, and essays. Leaders are readers, and he embodied that truth. He didn’t let the lack of a formal classroom keep him from learning; he built his own curriculum and gave himself an education that rivaled any Ivy League program.
- Charlie sought out mentors. His most famous was Bill Montgomery, who was fifty years older but saw extraordinary potential in him. Bill poured wisdom, encouragement, and practical knowledge into Charlie, and Charlie eagerly received it. This mentor-mentee relationship blossomed into the founding of Turning Point USA—a movement that has impacted millions.
In this sense, Charlie followed in the footsteps of Abraham Lincoln—largely self-educated, determined, and persistent. In fact, you could say Charlie “homeschooled himself” after high school. And I can’t help but think of when the crowds were astounded by the courage and wisdom of Peter and John in Acts 4:13:
“Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.”
“My money is on the homeschool kids. They’re going to be the ones running society.” -Charlie Kirk
Charlie Loved God
This, more than anything else, was the foundation of Charlie’s life.
Turning Point USA’s stated purpose is “to identify, educate, train, and organize students to promote the principles of freedom, free markets, and limited government.” But for Charlie, this mission wasn’t merely political. It was spiritual. He believed this was God’s calling on his life.
That conviction gave him courage. He didn’t want to be remembered as a social media personality, a conservative commentator, or even a movement leader. He wanted to be known as a man who stood boldly for his faith in Jesus Christ. And he did.
When Charlie was asked how he hopes to be remembered, his answer was this.
“I want to be remembered for courage for my faith. That would be the most important. The most important thing is my faith.”
When you raise and educate your own kids, you may be tempted to ask, “What college do you want to attend?” or “What career do you think would be rewarding?” But Charlie’s life challenges us to ask a far better question: “What is God calling you to do?” According to Ephesians 2:10, God has prepared good works in advance for each of us. That’s a question worth repeating often in your dinner conversations at home.
Now What?
Charlie was just getting started. By human standards, his life ended far too soon. And yet, as believers, we trust that his short life was full and complete in God’s providence. Now Charlie is at rest, in the presence of the Lord he loved and served.
But you and I are still here. And the pressing question is: What now?
Here’s where I would encourage you to begin.
- Love your family- Cherish your spouse, protect your children, and train the next generation to love God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength.
- Value education- Read widely, study God’s Word, surround yourself with wise and godly mentors, and keep growing in wisdom and truth.
- Live on mission- Ask God what He wants you to do, and then obey. It may be in ministry, in the marketplace, or in your own home—but wherever it is, pursue it with courage and conviction.
Charlie had the courage to “live not by lies,” as Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn once put it. He stood on the solid rock of Jesus Christ, regardless of the cost. And now, his earthly race is finished.
May his example inspire us to live our lives with the same courage, faith, and purpose.
“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints.” — Psalm 116:15
