Scott Kamps
The fact that Charlie Kirk was assassinated to make a political point is beyond question.
Officials and investigators (not legacy media, talk show hosts, or conspiracy charlatans) have said “leftist ideology” from “dark corners of the internet” clearly motivated the accused shooter.
Discerning whether Kirk was a martyr takes a little more thought, but is still readily apparent.
The word “martyr” comes from the word for witness; a martyr is one who dies as a witness to their faith. In terms of Christianity, a martyr is one who dies because of his/her faith in (and commitment to) the Lord Jesus Christ.
Charlie was slaughtered in broad daylight for his political views (i.e., not explicitly for preaching the Gospel), but it wasn’t for his views on economics: he was murdered for promoting Christian ethics that were not divorced from his Christian convictions and faith.
All politics are just applied morality, with various sides arguing which morality we – as a society – ought to live by. Kirk’s starting point was the authoritative Word of God and he dared to boldly proclaim that truth in the public square.
In our culture, many Christians compromise God’s Word to be “winsome.” Kirk actually was winsome, but without compromise; he went to the people he disagreed with in order to have a debate – a battle of ideas – because this is how we come to truth. Instead of silencing “opponents,” he gave them a microphone; in this way, he promoted basic conservative and Christian convictions with many who disagreed – and did so gently and respectfully.
John the Baptist was a martyr whose death is recorded in the Bible. He wasn’t killed for preaching the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world; instead, he was beheaded for preaching biblical truth to King Herod (i.e., it’s wrong to marry your sister-in-law).
Preaching moral values to political power can often be perilous. That shouldn’t be surprising; Jesus warned us, “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you.
If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”
Martyred by a fellow American on American soil for his distinctly Christian beliefs, Kirk may be the first well-known American martyr in this sense. What does that mean for the future of America and the church?
Kirk’s allegiance to Christ was central to everything he did, especially in recent years; he preached the Gospel everywhere he went (including immediately before his assassination). The number of clips of him preaching the gospel viewed in the last couple of weeks is beyond comprehension. It’s a continuing witness to Christ that is reaching more people than Billy Graham.
However, we must resist turning him into some remote, untouchable saint; instead, let’s remember him as a brother whose life and death call us to deeper faithfulness to our Lord.
Scott Kamps writes a bi-weekly column for The Graham Star. He can be reached via email, thestableguy@frontier.com.