To Snuff a Spark

A shooter recently snuffed the life out of someone many of us found inspiring.  I daresay, many of us aspired to be able to carry our convictions about faith and truth as confidently and skillfully as Charlie Kirk did.  His assassin undoubtedly thought he was doing the world a favor, ridding it of a man so many claimed to be riddled with “hateful rhetoric.”  But his efforts undoubtedly failed.  He may have succeeded at murder.  He may have ended the earthly life of a man.  But instead of snuffing out the light Charlie spread, he only succeeded in scattering sparks that set a movement ever more ablaze.  And the beautiful thing about that is, that it isn’t just a movement based in some political belief, as much as you may agree (or disagree) with where Charlie was at with that.  It’s about so much more.  

Those sparks have ignited in people a recognition of the battle we face and the importance of fighting it faithfully.  It’s as if peoples’ eyes have been opened to the need to put on the full armor of God we see described in Ephesians 6.  

“...be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 

Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand

against the schemes of the devil.  For we do not wrestle

against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,

against the cosmic powers over this present darkness,

against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. 

Therefore, take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to

withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.” 

Ephesians 6:10-13

People are finding themselves fastening on belts of truth, breastplates of righteousness, shoes that carry the Gospel of peace, bearing the shield of faith, wearing the helmet of salvation, and carrying the sword of the Spirit.  They’re feeling a need for preparedness that perhaps had somehow not burdened them til now.  Because whether you saw the horrific footage of the incident or not, the reminder of the shortness of our earthly lives was thrust before our very eyes in a way that was hard to avoid.  ‘Tis truly but a breath.  

In a moving speech at his memorial service*, Charlie’s wife Erika said of seeing him after his death, “I…saw on his lips the faintest smile, and that told me something important.  It revealed to me a great mercy from God in this tragedy…Charlie didn’t suffer…There was no fear, no agony.  One moment, Charlie was doing what he loved…and then he blinked.  He blinked and saw His Savior in Paradise, and all the heavenly mysteries were revealed to him.”  

It truly takes but an instant.  To be brought from this life earthside to the next.  Will we be ready? Will we be able to say we’ve done what we can in this life to point people to their innate need for God and His Truth before we each reach eternity?  

Or do we shirk back, afraid that to say so may stir up some unpopular opinion in the societal soup?  Fear of man has caused many of us to be afraid to speak the Truth and to share the Gospel with a broken and dying world.  The consternation of critics causes us to question whether we should speak on controversial cultural topics or stay silent.  

But this is yet another battle in the war of good versus evil.  The battlefield of our minds is one well worth fighting for.  I, for one, am tired of seeing people taken captive by these worldly philosophies.  How many people are drawn away by the empty deceit of the enemy of our souls?  How many prodigals no longer walk amongst the midst of our congregations because what the world had to say drew them away?  How often have we failed to speak boldly on behalf of what the Bible teaches we ought to believe?  And how often has that silence only contributed to the leading astray of followers of our flocks by wolves dressed as sheep, shrouded in the “feel good fuzzy sounding stuff” rather than the solid, soul-saving truth of Scripture?  

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy

and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the

elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.” 

Colossians 2:8

I don’t want to be complacent in that.  If we learn anything from this tragic incident, may it be that those tough, even controversial conversations are worth having…that the hurting and broken souls on the other side of those words are worth understanding…that even if their worldview may be skewed, they are still people made in the Image of God, who are worth pursuing. 

The conversations are worth having because they may very well lead to the conversions of souls for Christ.  Obviously, we are but vessels of the Gospel.  He must give us eyes to see these people as those who need to be redeemed.  The Spirit must speak through us and we must season our speech with His love.  He must move upon hardened hearts, just has He moved upon our own when He drew us near to Him.  We must be willing to be used though, to open our mouths, that we might utter His Truth, to point people away from the pointless nihilistic views that predominate the public squares, and back to the One who is the whole point, the entire reason for our being.  We’ve got to realize that this war we wage isn’t according to this flesh we walk in while we’re in this world.  There truly are strongholds of the enemy that need disciples of Christ willing to destroy those arguments and lofty opinions wrought against God.  We need warriors who truly take their thoughts captive to Christ.  

“For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power

to destroy strongholds.  We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised

against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ…” 

2 Corinthians 10:3-5

I’m not talking violence, though the scriptural imagery may make it seem so.  But instead, it speaks of strapping on that armor mentioned before, and of standing secure in it so that we may extinguish those flaming darts of the evil one.  So that even should a bullet take out a believer, the effect would be not a further igniting of evil ideologies, but a spraying of sparks of truth and the Gospel that sets fire to the souls of a lost and dying world desperately in need of the Truth of the Gospel.  

As believers in Christ, should we not have that same goal that you’ve probably seen Charlie Kirk quoted as saying, that he wanted to be known for having courage for his faith?  We’ve lived long in a land of cowardly Christians who cower at the least little resistance to their faith.  Must we be reminded that cowardice is not a virtue, but a vice?  It is the opposite of the strength in the Lord we are to have when we suit up in His armor to be about His will, doing His work.  Indeed, 2 Corinthians 10:17 reminds us, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”  

It will come with a cost.  A cost that for some could even be our lives.  It cost Christ His own life, on our behalf.  And because of Jesus, we have the privilege of picking up our cross and of laying down our lives, should we be called to do so, for His sake.  What higher honor could there be?  

Taking up our cross and following Him will look different for different people.  He has gifted us differently and thus the work won’t be the same for each and every one of us.  His purposes for each believer are well suited to what He has equipped each of us to do.  But the boldness for Him and the desire to do it all to the best of our ability for His glory, should be there nonetheless, regardless of what His purpose is for us in our lives.  We should be zealous in our pursuit of Him and pointing others to Him.  We should not shirk back from sharing the reason for the hope that we have. Because, search though society may for alternative saviors, none else will suffice.  All other options will only continue to lead people astray.  May we be faithful to point them to the One that is the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life.  And may we not do so timidly, but boldly proclaiming Him in the spaces and places that He has us.  

“Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? 

But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. 

Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts, honor Christ the Lord

as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you

for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile

your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame.  For it is better to suffer

for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.” 

1 Peter 3:13 - 17

There will always be those that argue that our faith should be personal, and not public.  Some will say that there must be separation between what we believe and public policy. They may also say that any “politically incorrect” opinions should be kept to oneself.  But all that causes us to do is to dance in trepidation about the eggshells the enemy has led us to believe we should be avoiding breaking.  But if those eggshells are based on falsehood and point people away from faith in Christ, ought they not be crushed?  Is it really “unloving” to engage people in ways that cause them to evaluate whether what they believe is truly true?  Or would the loving thing be to stand (like the guys on airport runways with their flashy beacons and signals) and try to direct people back to Truth and the Gospel?  

I would argue for the latter.  When we see people whose lives are on a collision course, it is most unloving to not try to point them back to their most basic need for their Creator and Savior.  People can (and will) critique you for it.  Let them.  We are to have no fear of them.  I would much rather make my defense before God one day that I did what I did out of a sincere desire to serve Him rather than that I didn’t want to disappoint the sub par standards of man.  

I’m reminded of the famous Man in the Arena speech given by Theodore Roosevelt, in which he urged people to a life of courage and perseverance rather than critical sideline cynicism.  

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong

man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. 

The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena,

whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly;

who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort

without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds;

who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself

in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement,

and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place

shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” 

Theodore Roosevelt

Just as all sorts of people critiqued Charlie, both in his life and since his death, and often very harshly, some of which obviously thought he was doomed to die at their hand, we will be critiqued. May our behavior in peaceful, compassion-filled dialogue, pointing others to Christ put such criticism to shame.  May people look upon our lives and be able to see past the subtle (or not so subtle) areas of disagreement and yet see us as people who shone ever so brightly a light for Christ.  If they fail to see that, it truly is their loss.  

(Spoiler alert:  You’ll never please all the people.  As a recovering people pleaser, I’ve tried it.  It’s simply not possible.  The only One whom we should care about pleasing is our Lord.  Only His opinion matters in the end.)  

We are reminded in Matthew 5 that we are the light of the world.  It is our purpose.  Try as some might to shroud that light by casting deceitful dark shadows about it, it ought not be hidden.  Indeed, it cannot be hidden.  Even a single spark can be seen in the midst of a whole lot of darkness.  Our light should shine brightly to show others the way to the Savior.  To show them that to Him alone belongs all glory.  

“You are the light of the world…a city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand,

and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine

before others, so that they may see your good works and

give glory to your Father, who is in Heaven.” 

Matthew 5:14-16

An assassin thought he could snuff out such a light.  What he failed to realize was that it burns bright in so many.  And the sparks spread from that bullet have only ignited more people to live a life in pursuit of truth and Christ.  What the enemy meant for evil, God is turning for good.  To Him be the glory.  (I don’t doubt that this turn of events since his death would leave Charlie rejoicing at the people who have come to that turning point in their lives through this tragedy.)  

As Christian apologist Frank Turek reminded the audience at the funeral, “I want you to know that Charlie…is in Heaven.  Not because (of anything he did)...not because he sacrificed himself for his Savior.  Charlie Kirk is in Heaven because His Savior sacrificed Himself for Charlie Kirk.”

There is nothing we can do or have done that can earn our way into Heaven.  But because of what Jesus did, the door is open.  

If there’s anything you can do, it’s to be willing for God to use you.  In her speech, Erika shared about a speech Charlie had given about submission to the will of God, in which he quoted one of his favorite Bible verses, Isaiah 6:8.

“And I heard the voice of the Lord saying,

“Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?”

Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 

Isaiah 6:8

She recounted telling him that there is so much power in that verse, that God will take him up on it.  And indeed, He did.  As Charlie's platform grew, his passion for his faith did not seem to squander at all. He desired to be used by God for whatever He willed. And in the aftermath of such a tragedy, his wife was able to take great comfort in the line from the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done.”

She went on to talk about Charlie’s desire to see young men saved, such as the one who took his life.  She gave the potent reminder that on the cross, Christ said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”  And then she went on to forgive his killer.  She did it because it is what Christ did and what Charlie would do.  As a wife freshly widowed, undoubtedly awash in depths of grief, she showed us the forgiveness we all need.  For we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  We have no hope of Heaven without Him.  

Oh that our own faith would be like that!  That we, too, would be willing to step forward and stand up and say, Lord, send me!  That we would be so willing to forgive our enemies and those with which we disagree (sometimes vehemently).  That when our work here on this earth is done, we can look forward to hearing from our Savior, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”  Not because of anything we have done, but because of everything that He did to atone for us in ways we can’t even begin to be capable of.  

He purchased our pardon.  The least we can do is to boldly point others to Him.  

*For a full transcript of Erika Kirk’s speech at her husband’s memorial service, click here.