By Ray Cardello for September 14, 2025, Season 32 / Post 38

People today have the attention span of a child, bouncing from one news story to the next. Only a major happening can survive the evening news to live another day. The killing of Charlie Kirk is more than a major happening, and you can feel the momentum of this story building to a crescendo of emotions as the remains of Charlie Kirk are laid to rest in Arizona next weekend. The soul of Charlie has already taken its rightful spot next to Jesus Christ in Paradise, where the two of them have much to do to watch over the believers still on earth. I made the mistake of thinking of Charlie’s death in political terms. I fell into the trap of thinking in terms of Left versus Right. The murder of Charlie Kirk transcends politics and is about Good versus Evil, and we are witnessing the ultimate power of Good. Charlie Kirk is a good man, a good husband and father, and his mission on earth was to bring out the Good in all of us. Charlie’s death will prompt many of us to look deeply into the mirror and inspire us to be better and do better, because that is our ticket to a better, happier life.

When the reality of what we witnessed last week sank in, we wondered who would fill Charlie Kirk’s shoes. We received our answer on Friday night, as Erika Kirk stepped to the microphone to thank the supporters of her husband and address the future of Turning Point. With the strength of a lioness, clutching the cross and necklace worn by her husband until his final breath, Erika took the baton from Charlie. She showed the world that she is ready and able to take the helm of this movement that Charlie created, and pledged to make it even bigger and better. At the end of her talk, there wasn’t a dry eye watching her, but everyone knew that this woman, who spoke of the “cry of the widow that would become a battle cry,” was the right person at the right time to continue Charlie’s work on earth.

The internet and social media have been flooded with tributes and videos of Charlie, and people who may not have been familiar with him and his work were getting a quick education. One thing that struck me was the videos in which Charlie answered questions about how he wanted to be remembered or what would happen to Turning Point after he was gone. Charlie was only 31 years old, and these questions were usually posed to someone in the twilight of their lives, not in their prime. These videos were harbingers of what was to come, and Charlie’s answers indicated he was aware his time on earth was limited, and that there was much to look forward to when it was his time to face his Savior and enter the paradise of heaven. Selfishly, we look at Charlie’s death as our loss, when really it is his reward. His faith taught him that time on earth was but a preparation for an eternity with our Lord in heaven. Charlie received his reward last week for a job well done, and he left us in the able hands of Erika, his partner on earth.

We will continue to celebrate Charlie Kirk this week as we prepare for his funeral, but he is already busy watching over us and guiding his beautiful Erika, with his cross necklace in her hand, to be the rock we can lean on and build on. We are in good hands.