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PEOPLE CAN CRITICIZE CHARLIE KIRK all they want. They can twist his words, dance on his grave, disrespect his memory and arrogantly insist that he belongs in “the dustbin of history”—as a congresswoman from Minnesota said last week. But this past Sunday night millions of people celebrated this humble Christian martyr—not because he was perfect but because he honored Jesus with his short life. The critics say Charlie’s funeral in Arizona on September 21 was an offensive display of flag-waving nationalism. Did they actually watch it? In all my years I’ve never seen the gospel declared so boldly on a global stage. Yes, Charlie was a conservative activist, but it wasn’t his politics that brought 95,000 people to that stadium. They paid their respects because of his faith in Jesus. I encourage you to watch the ceremony if you haven’t. I watched it live, but I’ve rewatched parts of it over and over. These were my highlights: ** Watching Christian musicians Chris Tomlin, Kari Jobe, Phil Wickham and Brandon Lake lead worship in front of the nation’s most powerful leaders. Everyone there was reminded that Jesus Christ is the King of kings. ** A pastor invited people to stand if they wanted to surrender their lives to Jesus. This event felt more like a Billy Graham crusade than a funeral! ** Dr. Ben Carson reminded us that Charlie was assassinated at 12:24 pm on September 10. Then he read John 12:24, which says, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” Carson reminded us that when martyrs die, the cause of Jesus advances. ** Frank Turek, who mentored Charlie in apologetics, explained the gospel to a national audience in the simplest but most profound terms. He said: “I want you to know that Charlie right now is in heaven not because he was a great husband and father, not because he saved millions of kids out of darkness on college campuses, not because he changed minds and chased votes to save the country, and not because he sacrificed himself for his Savior. Charlie Kirk is in heaven because his Savior sacrificed himself for Charlie Kirk.” ** Journalist and commentator Tucker Carlson seemed overwhelmed by the presence of God in State Farm Stadium. “Whatever happens next in America,” Carlson said, “I hope it’s in this direction, because God is here and you can feel it.” ** Even powerful members of President Trump’s cabinet preached the gospel. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was especially articulate when he declared, “God took on the form of a man, and came down and lived among us, and he suffered like men and he died like a man. But on the third day, He rose unlike any mortal man! And then to prove any doubters wrong, He ate with his disciples so they could see, and they touched His wounds. He didn’t rise as a ghost or as a spirit, but as flesh. Then He rose to heaven and He promised to return. And He will! And when He returns, because He took on that death, because He carried that cross, we were freed from the sin that separated us from Him …” ** Secretary of War Pete Hegseth challenged Americans to “put Christ at the center of your life.” And Vice President J.D. Vance admitted that he had been reluctant to talk about his faith until Charlie’s assassination. But Vance seemed bolder than ever when he announced: “It is better to be persecuted for your faith than to deny the kingship of Christ.” ** Erika Kirk, Charlie’s widow, provided the most emotional moment of the day when she publicly forgave the young man who killed her husband. And then she declared: “The answer to hate is not hate; the answer, we know from the gospel, is love and always love.” ** When President Trump made his closing remarks, he noted that Charlie was a “missionary” who loved his enemies. Trump admitted that he struggles to do that, and he invited Erika Kirk and her staff at Turning Point USA to help him learn Christ’s way of forgiveness. (Let’s pray that Erika will respond to that request!) I didn’t know Charlie Kirk, but he was my brother in Christ—and it grieved me so much to see hateful people laughing and celebrating right after he was shot in the neck by an antique rifle. It also grieved me when I heard Christians criticizing him or twisting his words before he was laid to rest. I am sure Charlie Kirk wasn’t perfect. Charlie certainly knew that—it’s why he needed a Savior. But he will forever be a hero in my book. He was less than half my age, but I’ll always look up to him as an example, and I pray I can have at least half the courage and compassion he modeled for us all. For more than four decades I’ve prayed that the Lord would bring a sweeping revival to the United States, and that it would begin on our college campuses. Charlie Kirk was part of the answer to that prayer. I hope you will welcome that revival, and that the fire of the Holy Spirit that is spreading to youth all over the world will burn in your heart as well. Lee Grady