At Charlie Kirk’s memorial service his wife Erika in the midst of deep sorrow accorded us all an extraordinary moment of unconditional Christian forgiveness. “That young man, I forgive him,” she said. “I forgive him because it is what Christ did and it is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love, love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.”
Mrs. Kirk displayed great faith and courage in saying this, catching the attention of all sorts. Even Jimmy Kimmel noticed, calling it “a very beautiful moment…a selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow.” As we know, just minor forgiveness can be oh so hard. Yet, utter forgiveness is what Jesus calls us to do in Matthew 6:14-15 and 18:21-22, Luke 6:37 and 23:34, and Mark 11:25, and the Bible from Leviticus to 1 John.
Regrettably, Mrs. Kirk’s faithfulness was not universally shared by other speakers at the service. One in particular stands out.
The last speaker was President Donald Trump who spoke fondly of Charlie Kirk and his impact on the MAGA movement. He also noted that when Kirk spoke to students who disagree with him he had no hesitancy. “I’m not here to fight them – I want to know them and love them,” he quoted Kirk as saying.
Describing Kirk, the president also said, “He was a missionary with a noble spirit and a great purpose. He did not hate his opponents; he wanted the best for them. That’s where I disagreed with Charlie. I hate my opponents. I don’t want the best for them.”
“I hate my opponents,” said the President of the United States. Such a dark statement cannot be overlooked or minimized.
A sitting president professing hatred toward citizens who oppose him should alarm true patriots. A favorite of evangelicals proclaiming “I hate” should shock all true Christians. Neither outcome appears to be likely. As columnist David Brooks laments, we have “entered an era of dark passions.” We allow hate to pervade social media and infect our politics every day.
The late, great Billy Graham equated hatred with murder, drawing on the Bible verse 1 John 3:15 which states, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer." He believed the "poisonous venom of hatred and bitterness" harms people and their souls.
I dare say it will also harm our nation and its sprit.
Sadly, Trump seems to know better. Following his contrary comment he said, “Charlie’s angry. He’s angry at me now.”
“Love your enemies” – Luke 6:27, Matthew 5:44.
Bill Crawford is the author of A Republican’s Lament: Mississippi Needs Good Government Conservatives.
