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Yesterday, one of the most impactful Memorial services that I have ever witnessed took place in Arizona.
The police said at least 200,000 people showed up, filling a stadium with a capacity of 73,000 within hours of the doors opening at 8 a.m. local time.
Some were sent to the adjacent Desert Diamond Arena, home to the NHL’s Phoenix Coyotes, with a capacity crowd of 20,000.
The additional thousands watched on big screens outside. Tens of millions watched on TV worldwide.
Be informed, not misled.
Turning Point USA, Kirk’s organization, said 200,000 people registered for the event and cops on scene said they were estimating at least that many people turned out for the service, which featured President Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kirk’s widow Erika, among others.
The New York Post said last night, "Elected officials from around the country were seen streaming into the arena ahead of the event, including Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), Rep. Andy Briggs (R-Ariz.), Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.)." Secretary of War Pete Hegseth was also spotted in the crowd and was one of the speakers.
Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, was also seen waving to the crowd, as well as conservative podcaster Matt Walsh, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
More on Elon Musk in a minute.
Addressing the crowd, GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, 36, credited Kirk with launching her career.
She said, "There would be no congresswoman Luna without Charlie Kirk,” she said to audience applause. “We are all Charlie Kirk now, and his legacy has just begun."
Right-wing political commentator Benny Johnson asked the roaring crowd if any of them had been moved “closer to Christ” by Kirk, calling him “a martyr in the true Christian tradition.”
Dressed in their red, white, and blue “Sunday best” — as requested by Turning Point USA in advance of the event — throngs of fans and supporters packed the area outside the stadium while waiting to get in.
Greg Waters, 71, of Bishop, California, said he listened to Kirk’s podcast every day.
“He’s like a son to me. We are connected through the blood of Jesus Christ,” he told The Post.
“The problem the world has is it doesn’t understand the spiritual connection.”
Waters added, “I think the more people who turned out shows that he had more impact than people believed. They need to have a bigger stadium.” He said he walked two miles to get to the stadium in time to line up for the memorial service.
The thread woven through the dozen or so speakers was the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a national and global audience. The New York Post said it was reminiscent of old-time revivals.
President Trump's Cabinet was there, including two plane loads of White House staff. Secretary of State Marco Rubio essentially preached a sermon sharing the Gospel that Charlie Kirk shared on thousands of college and university campuses across America and in other countries as well. So did the Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth. And Vice President JD Vance, Dr. Ben Carson, and the other leaders and former leaders in our country who spoke.
Speaker after speaker mentioned how strongly they felt the presence of the Lord in the stadium. Several mentioned they felt the presence of God's Holy Spirit in the place.
The service was about forgiveness.
Musk, 54, was first seen alone in the stands at State Farm Stadium. Footage posted later to social media showed Trump and Musk seated beside each other in the audience and talking as attendees clapped around them.
The public wants them to get along because they both have so much to contribute to our country.
Trump extended his hand to Musk, and the two exchanged a brief but earnest handshake before the tech billionaire stood up and left.
Musk later posted on X that "it was for Charlie."
When Erika Kirk stepped up to the podium at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, she showed immense courage and grace as she spoke about her husband, who was assassinated during an event at Utah Valley University nearly two weeks ago.
Erika Kirk: I forgive him
Riley Gaines told Fox News, "Erika Kirk's remarks...I have no words," the women’s sports activist wrote on X. "This is exactly what America needed to hear. Filled with love, strength, compassion, honesty, and forgiveness. This is the most powerful speech I've ever heard."
Kirk told the crowd that she would forgive her husband’s alleged killer, Tyler Robinson, and said that the conservative influencer’s mission was reaching young men in search of direction.
"Charlie passionately wanted to reach and save the lost boys of the West. The young men who feel like they have no direction, no purpose, no faith, and no reason to live. The men wasting their lives on distractions and the men consume with resentment, anger and hate," she said. "Charlie wanted to help them. He wanted them to have a home with Turning Point USA. And when he went on to campus, he was looking to show them a better path and a better life. That was right there for the taking. He wanted to show them that."
"My husband, Charlie. He wanted to save. Young men, just like the one who took his life. That young man. That young man on the cross. Our Savior said that. Father. Forgive them, for they know not what they do," she continued.
"You, that man. That young man. I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did. And this 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."
Gaines lauded her bravery.
"Only God can give a grieving widow the heart, serenity, and strength to forgive her husband's assassin only 11 days after he shot him," the OutKick Gaines for Girls host added. "Only God."
In a world often gripped with vengeance and outrage, Erika Kirk's quiet and unwavering declaration, "I forgive him," rings with uncommon strength. It was not an act of denial or weakness, but a radical commitment to grace in the face of unimaginable loss. She exemplified what we read in Romans 12:21, "Do not be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good."
Only Christ can give us that grace and the ability to forgive.
Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful. Be in Service.
