What is being squeezed out of us in the wake of Charlie Kirk's death? Contempt/judgment? or love/grace?

Lori Fair Kostenuk
Sep 20
2 min read

by Lori Kostenuk, Author

Wow! I went off the grid for five days last week to one of the west coast Gulf Islands, and it feels like the world shifted in my absence in the wake of Charlie Kirk's assassination. The masks have come off. We are seeing what is inside people's hearts. Their true selves have been revealed, like juice squeezed from a lemon. A real and fake lemon may look alike (not unlike 'Christians'), but you cannot mistake the fake lemon for being real when squeezed or baked.

The response to Charlie Kirk’s passing has been eye-opening for me. I have seen massive crowds overflowing with love, compassion and inspiration, while others express contempt and judgment.... a stark contrast. For those of us who share faith, this moment calls for self-reflection. Are we extending to Charlie the same grace that has been extended to us? Love unites, but contempt divides. Are our words fostering connection or are they driving wedges? Surprisingly, some people we’d expect to show love, grace, and understanding have revealed less compassionate hearts. Regardless of whether we agreed with Charlie’s bold style or his approach to sharing Christianity on college campuses, his work helped guide thousands of students toward faith and purpose—more than most of us ever will.

Many unbelievers (even some believers) have acknowledged that his death was wrong, 'but they didn't like this about him or that about him'. As fellow believers, let us mourn his passing with respect and love, without adding any 'buts'. Grace covers all those 'buts'. Without grace, we’d all be lost. Our response to Charlie's passing speaks volumes, and says far more about us, than any of our words can say about Charlie. God will judge what was inside of Charlie, whether he was the genuine Christian or not, not us with our 'buts'. Our role as believers is to love. However, if love isn't being squeezed out of us this week as we are being tested and squeezed, from one believer for another, then we need to question what spirit we are of. If we responded with contempt or judgment, then that is on us, not Charlie.

Some folks argue that religion and politics shouldn’t mix. Perhaps, but many Christians feel compelled to engage in civic life—electing school board members and local officials who align with their values—to address cultural shifts like the DEI movement or policies around transgender issues. These are complex topics, but the call remains: let’s approach them with love, grace, and a desire for unity.