Looking back at the events of September 2025, it is still hard to process the weight of what happened. The assassination of Charlie Kirk was a moment that shook our nation and the church. Whether you followed his work closely or not, the brutality of the event forced all of us to pause and ask difficult questions.
When violence dominates the headlines, we can’t just scroll past it. We have to view it through a lens of faith. In a powerful message delivered shortly after the tragedy, Alex Kremer helped us navigate a Biblical perspective on suffering and how to maintain a Heaven’s eye view of earthly suffering.
If you are still wrestling with the “why” behind the evil we see in the world, here is a look at God’s sovereignty when tragedy strikes and how we can move forward with hope.
Why Was He Targeted? A Biblical Worldview on Suffering
To understand the Biblical response to violence, we first have to understand the nature of the battle we are in. The world often tries to explain away violence with political or social reasons, but Scripture digs deeper.
Charlie Kirk was known for his courage and his refusal to shrink back from the arguments of darkness. Ultimately, however, he wasn’t just killed for political speech; he was killed because he sought to apply a Biblical worldview to a culture that is hostile to it.
There is a profound truth we must recognize: those who love evil hate the image of God. When people cannot attack God directly, they attack the next closest thing—His image bearers. This is why we see such a Biblical perspective on persecution of believers throughout history. From Cain killing Abel to the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts, the world lashes out when it cannot answer the truth.
God’s Sovereignty Over Evil: Was God Absent?
When we look back at the tragedy of that week—or any tragedy in our personal lives—the most haunting question is often, “Why does God allow suffering?” Or perhaps, “Where was God when this happened?”
It is a hard truth, but a comforting one: God did not take the day off. He wasn’t surprised. God’s sovereignty over evil means that nothing happens apart from His permission. As we were reminded in the sermon, God declares in Isaiah 45:7 that He is the One forming light and creating darkness, producing peace and creating calamity.
This doesn’t mean God is the author of sin, but it means He is the master of history. Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? We may not always know the specific “why,” but we know that God uses even the darkest moments for His ultimate purposes. He ordains our days before there is yet one of them.
The “Grease Fire” of the Church
There is a phenomenon in church growth through persecution that the enemy never seems to learn. The sermon used a vivid illustration: the church is like a grease fire.
What happens when you try to stomp out a grease fire or dump water on it? It doesn’t go out—it spreads. It explodes outward.
When they killed Stephen, the disciples scattered and preached the Word everywhere.
When they tried to silence the Reformers, the Bible ended up in the hands of the common man.
As Charlie Kirk’s widow, Erica, powerfully said, “You have no idea what you have unleashed”. The enemy thinks that by killing the messenger, he can kill the message. But a Christian response to evil knows that the blood of the martyrs is often the seed of the church.
How Should Christians Respond to Evil in the World?
So, knowing that God is sovereign and that He uses tragedy for His glory, what do we do? We can’t just sit idly by. Here are three actionable steps for a Christian response to evil:
1. Be Angry, But Do Not Sin
We often think Christians shouldn’t be angry. That isn’t true. God gave us emotions, and there is a time for righteous anger. We should be angry at the destruction of life and the celebration of wickedness. However, we must obey Ephesians 4:26: “Be angry, and yet do not sin”. We must not let our anger turn into a personal vendetta. We trust that vengeance belongs to the Lord, not us.
2. Pray for the Persecutors
This is the hardest command of the Charlie Kirk Christian faith. We are called to pray for the families of the victims, yes. But we are also called to pray for the perpetrators. We pray that God would slay them with the sword of the Spirit and give them a heart of flesh. Why? Because we were once enemies of God too, until He saved us.
3. Repent and reflect
Jesus taught that when we see tragedy, we shouldn’t just judge the wicked “out there.” We should look in the mirror. When asked about a tragedy in His day, Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will likewise perish”. We should use these sobering reminders to examine our own hearts and ensure we are right with God.
Heaven’s Perspective: Death is Not the End
Finally, the Heaven’s perspective on tragedy offers us the ultimate hope. For the believer, death is not the end. Charlie Kirk died doing exactly what he loved—pointing people to Jesus—and he is now in the presence of his Savior.
We live in a fallen world where the image of God is under attack. But we also live with the assurance that all things work together for good to those who love God.
If you are looking for a community to help you navigate these difficult times, or if you want to know more about the Savior who conquered death, we invite you to join us at Atlantic Gospel Chapel.
