Charlie Kirk, a prominent political activist and commentator in the United States, was gunned down this week as he interacted with students on a Utah university campus. At present his killer remains at large, and a major manhunt is in progress.

First and foremost, we entreat the God of all comfort to draw near to Charlie’s widow and their two young children. We pray he was right with the Lord at the moment of his passing and that the first resurrection awaits him and his family. May their friends and loved ones draw Erika and the children into their arms of love at this moment of heart-rending loss.

Second, all decent men and women everywhere—of every racial, national, philosophical, and religious background—must condemn without qualification the senseless act which cut short this young man’s life. Violence is never the solution to political variance of any kind. Such differences belong solely within the purview of debate and persuasion, with no room for physical force in the mix.

Third, this is not the time to debate the merits or lack thereof in the political philosophy of Charlie Kirk. This is a time to mourn and to pray for his family; there will be ample time thereafter to examine his beliefs and to assess their impact on his admirers and the nation in general. But just now, his violent and wrongful removal from national discourse must be lamented. Nothing more.

Perhaps the following statement by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who hails from a very different segment of the political spectrum, is worth keeping before us at the present time:

We should all feel a deep sense of grief and outrage at the terrible violence that took place in Utah today. Charlie Kirk’s murder is sick and reprehensible, and our thoughts are with his family, children, and loved ones.

I knew Charlie, and I admired his passion and commitment to debate. His senseless murder is a reminder of how important it is for all of us, across the political spectrum, to foster genuine discourse on issues that deeply affect us all without resorting to political violence.

The best way to honor Charlie’s memory is to continue his work, engage with each other, across ideology, through spirited discourse. In a democracy, ideas are tested through words and good-faith debate—never through violence. Honest disagreement makes us stronger; violence only drives us further apart and corrodes the values at the heart of this nation [1].

In a similar spirit, former U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris offered her own prayers for the Kirk family. Then she stated: “Let me be clear: Political violence has no place in America. I condemn this act, and we must all work together to ensure this does not lead to more violence” [2].

Speaking Peace

As Seventh-day Adventist Christians, our consummate task is the reflection through heaven’s power of our Lord’s sinless character, which includes what the apostle Paul describes as the ministry of reconciliation:

And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation (II Cor. 5:18).

Our agenda as God’s remnant church is not one of political ideology or the supremacy of one political persuasion over another. Rather, our agenda is one of valuing all as the purchase of Jesus’ blood, treating them with respect even in moments of sharp disagreement, and through it all keeping in view the ultimate reality that this world is not our home, that our Savior’s kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36), and that only the government resting on His shoulders (Isa. 9:6) offers any hope of establishing the eternal peace promised in God’s Word.

Conclusion

The violent loss of a leader is often transformative in ways the natural passing of such a one is not. In the words of historian and political analyst Larry Sabato: “Martyrdom’s blood and tears can wash away grievous sins—the martyr’s and our own” [3]. Political assassination can impose a pause on political divisiveness, even for scant moments, which other events can’t seem to do. But those for whom God’s Word is their ultimate authority, for whom the selfless purity of Jesus governs and guides the whole of their lives, hold the capacity for peace and reconciliation not reachable by others.

In the Bible story, two characters who stood at the pinnacle of global power in their day possess the rare distinction of having no sin recorded of them in the inspired narrative. Their pagan adversaries were able to find but one fault in them—their unswerving fidelity to God (Gen. 39:9; Dan. 6:4-5). Professed Christians have become ubiquitous in American politics for some time now. If they would only follow the pattern set by Joseph and Daniel, we can be sure that while their witness would not be free of controversy, their summons to peace and reconciliation in moments like the present would be far more persuasive with those for whom the quest for integrity and true liberty remains supreme in their lives as citizens of a free land.

REFERENCES

1. “Governor Newsom decries ‘disgusting, vile’ shooting of Charlie Kirk during Utah university event,” KCRA#, September 10, 2025 https://www.kcra.com/article/charlie-kirk-shooting-utah-valley-university-newsom/66041405

2. Ibid.

3. Larry J. Sabato, The Kennedy Half-Century: The Presidency, Assassination, and Lasting Legacy of John F. Kennedy (New York: Bloomsbury, 2013), p. 1.