By: Dr. Jürgen Bühler, ICEJ President

September 10th, 2025 – the day Charlie Kirk was assassinated – might go down in history as a turning point, much like 9/11 did twenty-four years ago. Charlie Kirk was unknown to many around the globe, but to millions of Americans, he was the most recognised voice of young conservatives who believed in biblical values and a Judeo-Christian worldview. He defended that worldview unashamedly, on any platform that opened to him: college and university campuses, mass gatherings, digital platforms, and even the halls of the White House.

At just eighteen, he co-founded Turning Point USA. President Donald Trump himself credits him as a decisive factor in the 2024 Presidential election. Vice President JD Vance counted him among his closest friends and advisors. At the time of his death, Turning Point USA was present on more than 800 campuses across the nation, and Charlie had become a household name for many conservative Christians. Yet, despite all this, two anchors mattered more to him than any public success: his deep personal faith in Jesus Christ as his Redeemer, and his family, his wife Erika and their two children.

What characterised Charlie in public life was his unwavering courage to confess his faith and values openly, coupled with his readiness to engage in dialogue—even with his fiercest critics. JD Vance praised him as someone who “was fascinated by ideas and always willing to learn and change his mind.” Charlie was unafraid to call evil by its name and good by its name. Political correctness or pleasing the media or currying favor with the powerful was never his concern. He stood, without shame, for what he believed to be true.

Charlie’s love for Israel was profound and sincere. He often expressed gratitude for this nation, declaring, “I have a bulletproof resume showing my defense of Israel. I believe in the scriptural land rights given to Israel. I believe in fulfillment of prophecy. My life was changed in this land, and I will fight for Israel.” Today, across the nation, we mourn the loss of this strong advocate and friend.

Whether you agreed with him or not, Charlie displayed a rare quality in our time: the willingness to stand for his convictions and to discuss them publicly, even at personal cost.

His death is a watershed moment, whether we acknowledge it or not. Two paths now lie before us: either we see this as the silencing of a prophetic voice for America, Israel, and the world—leaving the world darker—or we allow his death to awaken a new generation, ready to take up the baton and run the race he began.

Jesus said: “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” (John 12:24). My prayer is that Charlie’s death will bear much fruit. Just as Jesus’ death and resurrection birthed a missionary movement led by simple Galilean fishermen—a movement that changed the world forever—what seemed like an ending may yet prove to be a beginning.

Consider also the death of Stephen in Acts 7. His martyrdom was followed by persecution and scattering, yet Scripture tells us: “Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word” (Acts 8:4). What looked like the loss of a great man of God became the launchpad for many others to proclaim the gospel far and wide. So, I pray that September 10th, 2025, will spark new young voices to rise up, follow in Charlie Kirk’s footsteps, and continue his mission—whether in Germany, the UK, France, Italy or anywhere an anti-Christian, anti-Israel agenda advances.

In reflecting on Charlie’s life and death, I was reminded of Revelation 12:11: “And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.” Three marks of an end-time overcomer appear in this verse:

First, they overcame by the blood of the Lamb—by forgiveness through the cross of Christ, cleansed from sin, and redeemed from a broken way of life. This was certainly true of Charlie, who often testified to his personal faith in Jesus Christ and the salvation he found in His death and resurrection.

Second, they overcame by the word of their testimony. Few voices rang louder than Charlie’s—uncompromising in his faith, steadfast in biblical values, and unashamed in his solidarity with Israel. Even in death, his testimony continues to resound across global platforms.

Third, they loved not their lives unto death. Just months before his assassination, Charlie was asked how he wanted to be remembered if his time came to an end. His reply: “If I die, I want to be remembered for the courage of my faith. The most important thing is my faith.” Charlie was ready to pay the ultimate price.

By the simplest definition, a martyr is one killed because of his faith—one who consciously accepts death as the cost of his conviction. By that definition, Charlie Kirk is a modern-day martyr.

As I write this, I am reminded of Jim Elliot, another martyr who died for his faith in the jungles of Ecuador. He famously said: “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose.” Those words could just as well be Charlie’s, and my prayer is that such wisdom will mark a new generation who take up his mantle. For this is the essence of discipleship: taking up our cross daily, ready to pay the price, confident of the future that awaits us.

Vice President JD Vance closed his eulogy with these words to his friend: “You ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.” To say “We’ve got it from here” is to commit to embrace Christ as Charlie did, to boldly share our testimony in God, His Word, and His covenant with Israel, and to accept whatever cost comes with it.

Let this be our testimony as well: “Indeed, you ran a good race, my friend. We’ve got it from here.”