Erika Kirk, the widow of assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk, said during an emotional memorial service for her husband on Sunday that she forgives the man accused of killing him, stressing that love, not hate, must be the answer and vowed to continue his legacy with Turning Point USA.
"I forgive him because it was what Christ did and is what Charlie would do," Kirk told mourners at the service, held at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. "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."
Kirk recalled that her husband's deepest mission was reaching young men who felt lost, angry, and without purpose.
"Charlie wanted to save young men just like the one who took his life," she said, adding that his death on Sept. 10 should fuel a revival rather than violence.
Kirk remembered a speech her husband gave at AmericaFest 2023, where he spoke without notes about his willingness to follow God's calling. He quoted Isaiah 6:8: "Here I am, Lord. Send me."
"After Charlie finished, I met him backstage and told him there is so much power in those words, because when you say, 'Here I am, Lord, use me,' God will take you up on that," she said. "And He did with Charlie. Eleven days ago, God accepted that total surrender and called him to His side."
Kirk said she has found strength in the Lord's Prayer — "Thy will be done" — and in seeing her husband's body in the hospital.
"Even in death, I could see the man I love," she said. "On his lips was the faintest smile, and that told me he didn't suffer. One moment Charlie was arguing and debating on campus, fighting for the gospel and truth, and then he blinked — and saw his Savior in paradise."
She added that the days since her husband's death have revealed mercy and faith.
"After Charlie's assassination, we didn't see violence, rioting, or revolution. Instead, we saw revival," she said. "We saw people open a Bible for the first time in a decade, people pray for the first time since they were children, and some attend church for the very first time. That is what Charlie always prayed for in this country."
She urged believers to shepherd those new to faith and warned that temptations would grow in this time of testing.
"Being a follower of Christ is not easy. Jesus said we would be persecuted, and Charlie knew that and happily carried his cross all the way to the end," she said.
Erika Kirk also described their marriage, saying it was built on love notes, faith, and mutual service.
"Every Saturday, Charlie wrote me a note, always ending with, 'Please let me know how I can better serve you as a husband,'" she said. "He perfectly understood God's role for a Christian husband, a man who leads so that he can serve."
She also challenged men to embrace "true manhood" by loving and protecting their families and urged women to embrace virtue and their God-given roles.
"My marriage with Charlie was the best thing that ever happened to me," she said. "He left this world without regrets. He did 100% of what he could every day."
Kirk said she will carry forward his vision by taking the helm of Turning Point USA, the conservative youth organization her husband founded.
"I am tremendously honored to be the new CEO of Turning Point USA. Charlie and I were united in purpose. His passion was my passion, and now his mission is my mission," she said. "No assassin will ever stop us from defending free speech, debating on campuses, and sharing the gospel. Everything Charlie built, we will make 10 times greater through the power of his memory."
Looking out at the crowd, Kirk concluded: "Charlie's life was a turning point for this country. Let his miracle be your turning point as well. Choose prayer. Choose courage. Choose family. Choose faith. Most importantly, choose Christ. I love you, Charlie, and I will make you proud."
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Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.