Charlie Kirk

It’s been one year since Charlie was murdered in the most significant political assassination of my lifetime.

One year, and it feels like every day of that year was somehow a reaction to that horrible moment.

Charlie had flaws, like any man.

He was not killed for them.

Charlie was murdered for what was best about him — for what was extraordinary about him:

He spoke the truth with strength and love — two qualities we’ve been assured cannot coexist, and yet Charlie showed us that they can and must.

Some of the worst ugliness humans are capable of has been unleashed by Charlie’s death. Evil performed for clicks, for money, and sometimes just for attention. Evil performed in the name of friendship. Evil performed in the name of God. Evil performed in the name of politics, both left and right.

His death has been celebrated. His beloved wife has been mocked and scorned. His friends accused. His life’s work disparaged.

His children will have to grow up in a world that lies to them every day about what kind of man he was.

It is easy on a day like today to damn it all.

Charlie wouldn’t.

He would have hugged his wife, sent a few Bible verses off to his friends, modeled love for his children, and gotten back to work — speaking the truth with strength and love.

He had a better heart than I do, but I will try to follow his lead.

Be your best.