In the wake of last week’s assassination of Charlie Kirk, many of us are left asking the same haunting questions. He was only 31 years old—a devoted husband, a loving father to two young children, and a man who served God with boldness and conviction. Charlie was making a phenomenal difference in the lives of others. So why would something so brutal, so public, so senseless happen to someone so good?
These questions aren’t new. The mystery of suffering has puzzled the greatest minds for millennia. But Scripture offers glimpses of truth, even if they come wrapped in riddles.
“For now [in this time of imperfection] we see in a mirror dimly [a blurred reflection, a riddle, an enigma], but then [when the time of perfection comes we will see reality] face to face. Now I know in part [just in fragments], but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known [by God].” 1 Corinthians 13:12
The Frustrating Answer
Science says we only use about 10% of our brain capacity. * We live in a flawed and finite world. Adam, created in perfection, functioned at full capacity—he named every creature, every insect, with ease. But we? We see only fragments. Our minds can’t grasp the full picture like God can.
1 Corinthians reminds us that we see through a glass darkly. One day, in heaven, we’ll understand the full story. Why Charlie had to be taken so soon—why his death had to be so brutal and public—will make sense in the light of eternity. Until then, we trust in the faithful goodness of God.
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9
The Unfortunate Answer
We live in a world where love has grown cold and hearts have hardened. Sin has calloused our culture. The average child witnesses over 8,000 murders and 100,000 acts of violence on network TV before turning 18 (Gruman, Schneider & Coutts, 2017). That’s not just a statistic—it’s a mirror.
When I prayed about why Charlie’s murder had to be so visible, one word kept surfacing: impact. Charlie was about impact—not just words, but results. His death, as horrific as it was, shook people out of complacency. It gave us eyes to see the state of our own hearts and the brokenness around us. That was Charlie’s work.
“Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” John 12:24
The Perpetual Answer
I don’t know why God allowed such a young man with a beautiful family to be taken so early. But I know God well enough to trust Him. Why so public? Because Charlie wanted his life—and even his death—to make a difference.
And it has.
His death has exposed evil, galvanized the weak, and mobilized the complacent. The seed of Charlie Kirk’s life has been planted in the hearts of many—young and old alike. As we pray for his wife and children, let us also pray that Charlie’s legacy will bear the harvest God intended.
God does work in mysterious ways. And sometimes, the most painful stories become the most powerful testimonies.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
