On September 10, 2025, Charlie Kirk, was shot at 12:24 p.m. At Charlie Kirk’s Memorial service, Dr. Ben Carson ended his remarks with John 12:24: Unless a corn of wheat fall to the ground and die, it abides alone, but if it dies it brings forth much fruit. He added, “I want to thank Charlie for his sacrifice because much fruit is going to be realized.”

As I’ve watched events play out since September 10, 2025, at 12:24 p.m., I’ve recognized how truly prophetic Dr. Carson’s words were. When I sent our daughter, Jen, a text that afternoon asking how she was, she responded by asking if I knew who Charlie Kirk was. I didn’t.

Until the day of his death, I had never heard of Charlie Kirk, but by the end of that day, because of his death, his name was on the lips of every commentator and all over social media. (Some people lost their jobs because of their ignorant remarks. Some of our grandchildren deleted their Facebook accounts, unable to believe the response of some of their friends, “There were as many people applauding his death as grieving it.”) 

Since his death, Charlie’s organization, Turning Point USA has had more than 120,000 students asking to launch new Turning Point chapters on their college/high school campuses. The first episode of the Charlie Kirk Show after his death, featuring Megyn Kelly and Erika Kirk, surpassed one billion views.

It appears that Erika Kirk’s words at Charlie’s Memorial service were also prophetic: “You have no idea the fire you have ignited!” Satan hoped to get rid of Charlie Kirk but instead his message is reaching many more than if he had lived. Erika is keeping her promise made to Charlie that day, “I will never let your legacy die.”

I haven’t been able to move away from this verse. Last Sunday John 12:24 was one of the verses our Sunday school teacher used, and John 12: 24-25 were the verses my In Touch devotional was based on that day. On Wednesday John 12:24 was the key verse in The Upper Room devotional.

 While I’m still grieving what seems, on the surface, like the senseless violence that took Charlie’s life, I absolutely cannot miss the truth that ever since Charlie, a kernel of wheat, fell into the ground and died, he has been bearing tremendous fruit. There is no doubt that through his death, Charlie Kirk is reaching more people, young and old, than he ever could have reached if he had lived.

Was Charlie Kirk a perfect man? No, of course not. But he was a man mightily used by God in his life and even more mightily in his death. I am saddened by Christians who are searching desperately to find something that Charlie Kirk said or did at some time in his life to ruin his reputation. How many of us would like to have any words we’ve spoken at any time in our lives dragged out to try to make us look bad after we die? Not I, for one!

Charlie was very young when he became a public figure, and it’s likely that things he said at that time may not have been what he would have said after he matured. I for one believe that when Charlie Kirk died, he was greeted by his heavenly Father with the words that we as Christians all long to hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Heavenly Father, thank you for your servant, Charlie Kirk, who produced much fruit in his life and is now producing even more in his death. Anoint and empower those who are stepping up to keep the fire burning that his death ignited Amen.