Christian

The Charlie Kirk Effect: Why He Was So Amazingly Influential

A tsunami wave of young Americans, from teenagers to those in their early forties, are feeling the effects of Charlie Kirk’s bold adherence and proclamation of truth, both political and spiritual.  Many are referring to this as, “the Charlie Kirk effect.”

The initial surge began within minutes of Kirk’s assassination on September 10. I personally received a phone call from one of my sons who was in literal tears as he spoke of the tragic news. He was an avid follower of Charlie on social media and told me Kirk’s murder caused him to realize he needed to “get off the fence” with his own personal Christian faith.  A multitude of news reports confirm my son was certainly not alone in that conviction as millions of younger Americans have been inspired to take their faith in Jesus as Lord much more seriously and personally—as Charlie did. Churches that openly promote traditional, conservative values have seen spikes in attendance. This is occurring as liberal congregations have been experiencing just the opposite. A recent report from The National Council of Churches states mainline Protestant denominations (who tend to lean liberal) are experiencing thousands of churches closing their doors this year for lack of attendance.

In Irvine, California, a 20-year-old student named Bryce Bohorquez shared a video of the overflowing parking lots surrounding Oceans Church, where he is a member. “Charlie Kirk, look what you did,” he says. “No parking. Everyone wants to come now. Amen!” Bohorquez’ post has been viewed by millions.

It’s also been encouraging to see and hear of so many teens and twenty-somethings openly articulating conservative political values following Kirk’s death, not just online, but in verbal conversations with their peers.

But the Kirk effect is not just an American phenomenon. I have Christian friends in Nigeria who tell me videos of Charlie defending the faith have gone viral in their country. Prior to Kirk’s death my friends had never heard of him before. This is particularly notable given that radical Islam is at war with Christianity in Nigeria.

Charlie Kirk co-founded Turning Point USA in 2012 at the age of eighteen, soon building the organization into a nationwide campus powerhouse for conservative ideas with over 2,000 chapters nationwide. In 2021, he created TPUSA Faith to, as he often stated, “Eliminate wokeism from the American pulpit.” In the weeks following his assassination, thousands more chapters are now in the works.

Why was Charlie Kirk’s message so effectively impactful? I’ll provide three examples.

He eagerly engaged with his opponents. This was one of Kirk’s great qualities. Without angst, he would invite people to prove him wrong. He honored such individuals by listening to them and not bashing them.

He was unashamed of the Gospel. Charlie left no doubts regarding being a follower of Jesus. When I first interviewed him on my San Francisco radio program in 2017 he was all politics, but in successive years I witnessed his faith become the centerpiece of his messaging. His example influenced many to become more outspoken in their spiritual convictions.

Kirk placed a high value on dialogue with influencers he did not always agree with. Charlie wisely possessed the courage to interact with political and other high-level influencers who did not always demonstrate Christian, or even strictly conservative, values. By not distancing himself from such people, whether Republican or Democrat, he wielded a positive influence on them.

Let’s pause and learn from Charlie’s example, as we all do our part to sincerely make America great again.

To My Hilarious and Miraculous Son: HAPPY BIRTHDAY

Thirty-one-years-ago today, a baby was born in an ambulance in San Jose, California.
Upon arriving at the hospital, it was quickly noted the premature boy was addicted to cocaine. The infant spent the next many weeks an incubator, unable to receive the love and care that most babies are given.
The little one’s mother was taken into police custody; eventually the child was discharged from the hospital into his grandparents’ care.
However, no one at the hospital realized the grandparents, albeit quite kind, were homeless.
Some months later, the little baby was discovered by police, living with his grandparents in a dilapidated, abandoned house. I’ve read the police report. Fortunately little Joshua was unharmed.
The child was immediately placed into a foster care facility. He was moved around the foster system through his fifth birthday.
Fast forward to early 2000. I was working for the CBS-TV station in San Francisco, and, among other things, hosted a weekly program called, “Brian’s Kids.” Each Wednesday, on the Five O’clock News, we would feature a youngster living in foster care who needed a permanent family. Interestingly, over the course of ten-years we witnessed over 400 of our kids getting adopted.
That’s how I met this skinny, little, almost six-year-old, named Joshua. He was featured on our TV program.
That evening, after our afternoon taping session with Josh, I told my wife about this “amazing little guy that I think we should adopt.” My son, Sam (12), was with me for the recording session and totally agreed.
Two of our children came to us through adoption, so my wife and I were familiar with the process and the challenges. Eventually, after a family meeting we decided to have Josh over to the house for a visit with his county social worker.
When he came to our door, his curly hair was combed and slicked down, and he was wearing the best set of slightly oversized hand-me-down clothes his social worker was able to find. Upon inviting him inside our home, my wife and I suddenly and simultaneously left the entryway in different directions overcome with emotion; she to our bedroom and me to a bathroom. We were both a basket of merciful tears.
Joshua officially became a member of our family shortly thereafter. Our daughter—now his sister—prayed with him to receive Jesus as his personal savior a month after Josh turned six. He’s never veered from that conviction.
Josh is happily married to Ladina. They presently live in NYC where Josh is honing his comedy credentials.
Happy birthday, son. You bring much joy (and hilarity) to our lives.

Best Birthday Ever, 50 Years Ago Today

While I am grateful for being able to celebrate another year of life, the best birthday I ever experienced occurred fifty years ago today.

It was 1975. I was a freshman at the University of Missouri and wildly in love with a young woman attending nearby Stephens College. I came to “Mizzou” from a Chicago suburb where I went to high school; she hailed from Santa Cruz, California. We had developed a wonderful friendship which appeared to be ending as she was intent on not returning to Missouri for the next school year.

I had to do something to prove my love to her—something big time. And I did.

A few weeks earlier she and some girlfriends had traveled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida for Spring Break. I had no money or transportation to join her, but I didn’t let her know that wasn’t going to stop me.

My plan was to hitchhike 1,400 miles to meet her there. My dream was that she would see how in love I was with her and decide to return to Missouri for her sophomore year.

I packed a gym bag full of spare clothes and put up my thumb.

By the time I made it to Orlando (200 miles north of Fort Lauderdale), I was flat broke and had been escorted off the Interstate highway by law enforcement as no hitchhiking was allowed. That evening, I was desperate. I’m not proud of what happened next, but it did soon lead to something very good.

While attempting to steal a car in a hotel parking lot with the keys left in the ignition, I was surrounded by police.

After questioning me, one of the officers placed me in his car. I assumed I was headed to jail, but instead I drove with him all night long. He was an incredibly nice man of about thirty, who wanted to know my whole story. As we talked, he shared a lot of wisdom and even spiritual advice. Just before sunrise he treated me to a hearty breakfast and then drove me to the Greyhound Bus Station, where he purchased a ticket to Fort Lauderdale.

As I prepared to board, he used an old school slogan to encourage me: “Get the girl, Brian.”

I called her from a payphone upon arrival. She and her girlfriends drove to pick me up. Though I slept on the beach and showered in public bathrooms, we had a great time.

A couple weeks later it was April 3, and she prepared a picnic lunch for us. Midway through, she handed me a birthday card. I was near tears when I read, “…and I’ll be coming back for school next year! Love, Susie.”

We were married three years later.

I certainly got the girl, as well as four children and seven grandchildren.

And, I still wonder if the person who put me on that Greyhound was an angel in disguise.

The Next Exit

Despite the fact I’ve been a follower of Jesus for decades, I continue to make monumental mistakes, dumb decisions, and chump choices.

I know the way, I know the truth, and I know the Author of Life. Yet I often stumble, and occasionally fall.

The question is, why? Especially after all these years.

The answer is because I’m often hesitant to stand on solid ground. Indeed, the Bible is replete with many admonitions to stand against temptations of many sorts. That includes the temptation to simply do things my way.

The ancient Old Testament book of Jeremiah exhorts us to stand, stating, This is what the Lord says: “Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls.”

It’s interesting because, as every athlete knows, one’s stance is everything.

In the New Testament, Jesus provides us a description on how to stand, saying, “The one who stands firm to the end will be saved.”

Saint Paul elaborates on the concept of standing firm: “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.”

Later, Paul says it like this: “Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.”

The takeaway is straightforward. I need to stand, and stand firm. Such a stance empowers us to take the proper exit along life’s highway.

 

 

 

A Time to Mourn

With the recent loss of my wife’s father, I have been reflecting on the process of mourning; something we don’t always seem to do well in western culture.

Too often our expressions of deep loss are extremely abbreviated. Those closest to the departed are immediately thrust into a whirlwind of tasks: funeral arrangements, obituaries, death certificates, contacting financial institutions, filing taxes, wills and trusts. While these assignments are vital, they can also act as distractions that might prevent us from taking the time to properly mourn.

For those not involved in handling the details noted above, our various occupations are often not compatible with carving out essential bereavement time.  Getting a day off to attend a memorial, let alone taking a day off after hearing the news of a death, can be challenging.

Frequently there is a lack of compelling consolation and counsel which is often desperately needed following the death of a loved one. We don’t know who to turn to, who to talk to, who to shed tears with, so we tend to stuff our emotions, pressing on with the minutia of our lives.

And then there are our children who have no frame of reference to understand they will never see that special person again.

I recall witnessing an accident that took the life of my best friend when I was ten. Though I was an emotional wreck, my parents were ill-equipped to properly console me. I was back in school and football practice the next day. When one of our teammates was told he was taking our deceased friend’s place on the starting lineup, the poor little guy broke down crying. The team marched on that day because, I guess, it was thought that it was the best thing to do. It was decades before I was able to mourn Kenney’s untimely death and it brought long overdue healing to my life.

The Bible describes for us many important aspects of mourning, such as weeping, crying loudly, and setting aside days or even weeks to allow for healing. And even though the Christian has the assurance that when this earthly life has ended, eternal life has just begun, we are still entitled and encourgaed to express our raw emotions for the passing of another.

As King Solomon once said, God graciously allows us “a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

Next time, let’s make the time to mourn.