By: Ali Elizabeth Turner
It’s been a week since Charlie Kirk was murdered. As has been the case for many Americans, my emotions are visceral and my grief is palpable. I have seen tears shed by men, and dreadful hate speech come out of the mouths of women who claim to legislatively represent the people of this great nation. It has been a time of electronic chaos and personal resolve, mourning and triumph. And if I am perceiving things correctly, we are witnessing the birth of what I have decided to call “The Turning.”
I suppose, in a way, this is a reference to the name of Charlie’s organization and brand, better known as Turning Point USA, but I think it is more. I think a significant shift has begun in our culture that gives me great hope. I had the privilege of hearing Pastor Dutch Sheets speak in Florence on September 13, and he had several things to say about Charlie. Someone texted him within seconds of the shooting, and Dutch had the uncomfortable feeling that Charlie was not going to live, even though he prayed for him fervently. Dutch felt directed by the Lord to the Book of Acts, Chapter 7, which is the description of the stoning of Stephen, who is considered to be the first martyr. Stephen’s face shone like an angel in the presence of his accusers, he spoke with great wisdom, the Holy Spirit worked miracles through him, and his enemies could not intimidate him. In fact, as his enemies were killing him, they heard him pray for their forgiveness and talk about heaven as he was seeing it.
The strangest thing happened after Stephen was stoned. Paul was set up to experience being knocked on his keister on the road to Damascus, and went on to become the one who wrote the lion’s share of the New Testament. And, eventually Paul himself was martyred, as were most of the Apostles. The church grew in the midst of persecution, which has happened several times in history, and evil has never been able to silence the voices of hope. Believers sang in the stadiums while facing down lions, they sang in the prisons and death camps of World War II, and songs are already being written and produced not just about Charlie; they are asking the question: What are we going to do, and who are we going to be?
I would answer that question with, “Ask the kids.” By that, I mean the kids—Gen Z, Millennials, and others have lost their hero, and so the kids are going to become their hero. Of course, they can’t do that in their own strength, and The Turning will be messy, as revival always is, but you watch. They shall become bolder than we can imagine, and they will certainly make the powers of evil sorry that they ever thought that by snuffing out the physical light of Charlie Kirk, they would succeed in silencing his unfailingly steadfast message of hope. It will be “the Lord’s doing, and it will be marvelous in our sight,” if you let it. Pay attention and pray for the kids. They are going to need it.
