A testament to Kirk’s own public priorities when it came to Faith & Politics
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Texas Insider Report) — Journalist and author Saleno Zito captured the moment perfectly: “The left, the liberal press, the Never Trump folks were all expecting a Wellstone moment. (Look it up.) What they got was a revival – An Awakening. Likely the most widely viewed gospel presentation ever in the history of the country perhaps the world. They really have no idea what has been unleashed” she wrote in a post on social media platform X.
Zito’s “Wellstone moment” was a reference to the 2002 memorial service for Minnesota Democrat Senator Paul Wellstone following his plane carsh death, which degenerated so disgracefully into a political rally that a writer for the liberal website Slate noted the service had been “overshadowed” by “the angry piety of populism.”What they got was revival, hope and faith instead – on a scale rarely seen in human history.
What came out at the Kirk service was faith – the kind the United Sates of America was founded upon. And those gathered at Charlie Kirk’s service in Glendale, Arizona, were overwhelmingly politically conservative, yes, but the nation's Christian faith came first.
There was the altar call early on from Pastor Rob McCoy, known as Charlie Kirk’s pastor.
Frank Turek, the close friend and advisor of Kirk,who witnessed Kirk’s final moments, described the essential reason of the Christian faith:
"Charlie Kirk is in heaven, Turek said, “not because he sacrificed himself for his Savior. Charlie Kirk is in heaven because his Savior sacrificed Himself for Charlie Kirk.”
And there was Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, delivering her own haunting version of Jesus’ words on the cross, except applied to the man facing the death sentence for murdering her husband:
“On the cross, our Savior said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they not know what they do,” she said. “That man, that young man – I forgive him.”The crowd responded with a standing ovation.
“I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do,” she said.
“The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the Gospel, is love and always love – love for our enemies, and love for those who persecute us.”
“The answer to hate is not hate. The answer, we know from the Gospel, is love and always love – love for our enemies, and love for those who persecute us.”
From any perspective, the event was in a class by itself, and Andrew Kolvet, producer of “The Charlie Kirk Show” released some preliminary numbers that are eye-popping.
“Our production and streaming partners tracked over 100 million overall streams for the tribute to Charlie. This is JUST what they know about. It’s likely much larger,” he wrote.
“Over 100 million people heard the Gospel proclaimed again and again, by speaker after speaker. Truly remarkable.”
“Over 100 million people heard the Gospel proclaimed again and again, by speaker after speaker. Truly remarkable.”
It wasn’t the pettiness and spite that came to dominate the Democrat's Wellstone memorial service two decades ago. It was a testament, in a literal sense, to Kirk’s own public priorities when it came to faith and politics.Reading CNN coverage – with its obligatory jabs at President Donald Trump – the left's disappointment was palpable, perhaps along with a slight grudging of admiration for the sheer magnitude of the showing.
It was what the country and the world needed.
