I’ve seen a lot in my lifetime. I remember the moment when I heard that JFK was assassinated. Sitting in a high school class, the announcement came over the PA System.
I watched the Viet Nam war and all the protests, including the Kent State shooting of four students. I was witness to the Watergate mess, the trips to the moon, and Woodstock.
I’ve watched the political machinations on both sides and watched as the Republican’s and Democrat’s hold on power ebbs and flows.
But, on Sunday, I saw something that I had never seen before. At the end of the event, I said to my wife, “This is one of the most significant events in our lifetime.”
It was the memorial for Charlie Kirk.
I confessed, in an earlier post, that a few weeks ago I did not know who Charlie Kirk was.
And on Sunday, I was more interested in watching the football game than a memorial service.
But my wife wanted to watch it, at least a little bit of it, and so I sat down with her and watched. We were both glued to the TV for the next five and a half hours.
First, there were the people in the audience. Somewhere between 70,000 and 200,000 at this venue and the arena next door. One man came from Ireland to be there, and I suspect there were others from around the world.
At first, as the eulogies and testimonials from his friends and co-workers unwound, I was impressed with the people. They were almost all young, intelligent, attractive and passionate.
A little perspective. I have been a consultant for over 30 years. In that time, I’ve worked with over 500 organizations. I’ve never seen a group of people like this in any of those organizations.
They talked about this being a turning point in the American story and vowed to continue the work Charlie begun.
I believed them.
Then the speakers began to shift from his friends and coworkers to members of the federal administration. Each one calling for a return to Christ, some recounting the gospel story and all advocating bringing God into our lives. Marco Rubio, Peter Hegspeth, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, Vice-Preside Vance, to name a few. The list was quite a bit longer.
I was impressed with their Christian testimony. If God sprinkles his people in places and positions, like salt on food, I believe this administration is saltier than any in the past.
You would expect Erika’s comments to be powerful and emotional, and they were. In a world that calls for hatred and violence, she forgave her husband’s murderer.
In addition to the reflections on Charlie’s life and work, there were two other themes: Jesus Christ and this event marking a turning point in the country. For those of us who have been praying for a revival in this country, for a return back to God, the event felt like an answer to prayer.
When the history of this time is written, this event will have a prominent part. And that’s why this was one of the most significant events of my lifetime.
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