“You are still a valuable member of the only race on earth” is a line from “F.O.A.“. I recall thinking while writing those lyrics that I was opening myself up to potential attacks from those who might choose to misinterpret those words and what they mean. There is only one race, the human race. We are all in this together. To quote the U.S. Declaration of Independence, which states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights.”
Whether or not you agree with what he stood for Charlie Kirk was our equal. The second verse of “Standing For Love” says
“He believed in civil discourse
He believed facts mattered more than feelings
I’m not sure what has left me more reeling
That they feared him so much
They chose to climb up on a roof to silence him
Or that they would sink so low
To publicly hate him even after his last breath”
How people can call him a racist when he is on record quoting a national geographic article saying race doesn’t exist, it’s a social construct? They are the ones being divisive. They are the ones hating while Charlie was loving enough to give them a microphone to voice their vitriol, while he respectfully debated them with the truth. In some ways seeing so many being gleeful that he was killed has been more shocking than his assassination. Sadly too many only think they know what Charlie believed due to the misinformation spread about him. If you want to know what he really stood for watch any of his unedited videos in full.
Going to the source is usually a good starting point for discovering the truth. This can be applied to the Bible too. Why believe whatever you do about God based on what someone else says about him or how they live their life? It doesn’t matter how old a church building is or how many people go there, everyone in that building is fallible. They might have the best intentions and be trying their best to help their neighbours but they are still capable of making errors. You can read or listen to the Bible, as many more people are after Charlie’s death, and discover for yourself the greatest love letter ever written.
If you haven’t seen the video I created to help myself process his death it’s on YouTube. I’m humbled it’s helped others process the events of the past week.
It was a mammoth effort to write, record, mix, produce, create, edit, render it all so quickly. It’s one of the reasons it’s taken me until now to write about it other than short posts online and messages to friends.
I followed the full video up with an edited short version yesterday which within hours became the most viewed, most liked, most commented on video I’ve ever released. I’d planned to create this version on Sunday morning before church however I got talking to someone and was late to church. I then unexpectedly binge watched season 5 of The Chosen Sunday night which delayed the below video not being created until Monday morning.
Despite all the videos and text posts these past few days showing how low some people are willing to go, it’s also been heart warming to see all the posts of people vowing to not let Charlie’s death be the end of his legacy. Seeing people witness the hate and choosing love is what Charlie would have wanted. Respectfully debunking their lies with the truth is what Charlie would have wanted. Loving ourselves enough to love others more rather than less is how Charlie lived his life and hopefully you won’t be too afraid in the days and weeks ahead to love no matter the cost. It’s the example Jesus gave us, and it’s the one Charlie lived by.
“Will you stand for what is right?
Don’t let fear win this fight.”