Reflections on His Ministry from Across the World
Editor’s Note:
Many readers are familiar with Charlie Kirk, who was tragically gunned down on Sept. 10. What stunned us at Life Media Group was the extraordinary, worldwide impact of his ministry. The following excerpt is drawn from an editorial written by Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkuno, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church, in an article from Orthodox Christianity—offering a perspective from the other side of the Christian faith tradition.
Excerpt from Metropolitan Tikhon Shevkuno, Patriarch of the Russian Orthodox Church:
Just a week ago, the name Charlie Kirk was virtually unknown in Russia. Then, like a supernova explosion, he burst into our information space, unleashing a wave of both indignation and admiration. Some saw in him the embodiment of values they found unacceptable and reacted with open hatred and outrage toward Kirk: “How can an American (an American!) be like that?”
Others—astonished and grieved that he is no longer among the living—discovered in him an unexpected kindred spirit. Death, without a doubt, became both the chief sermon and the pinnacle of Charles Kirk’s ministry. It also illuminated his complete image—one filled with faith, resolve and Christian love—refuting the slanders of those who read the Gospel with their soul’s eyes shut, failing to understand that the bold defense of Gospel truth is love in action.
The murderer—and all those who stood behind him—are powerless to place a final period on the existence of a man who believes in Christ. And in the hearts of millions of his like-minded followers and friends, Charlie’s martyred death breathed new, greatly multiplied life in service of their goals, thoughts, and convictions.
In an age of post-truth, relativism, and libertarianism—when reality is constructed by the media and social networks, and conformity has become the norm—truth is drowning in a sea of political correctness. Charlie Kirk dared to go against the current. He acknowledged no shades of gray, no compromises, no deals with the conscience. He couldn’t have cared less about what was fashionable, accepted, or dictated by the crowd. He allowed himself a luxury almost unheard of in our time—to call things by their proper names, even if that meant that such a royal choice would, inevitably and without a doubt, bring a series of consequences, including the most dreadful ones.
What is especially admirable about Charlie Kirk is his willingness to go and speak about the Kingdom of Heaven, about traditional values, about conservative principles in the very places that seemed most unsuitable—places whose inhabitants, for the most part, do not want to hear anything of the kind. He chose a “mission field” perhaps the most important, but—as we now see—far from safe, not unlike preaching somewhere among a tribe of cannibals. University campuses, the youth culture of Generations Z and Y. But Charlie Kirk, even among these young and often aggressive beings—so dearly loved by him in a truly Christian way, each one of whom he saw as bearing the image and likeness of God—was not afraid to be a “black sheep,” was not afraid to go against the current, was not afraid to speak the truth as he understood it, even if it frequently provoked anger and rejection.
The example of Charlie Kirk is a lesson for us.
Charlie Kirk spoke, first and foremost, about what he truly believed. His sincere passion, integrity, and conviction were contagious to young people and compelled them to think. That is precisely why he was both loved and hated—but he left no one indifferent.
The life and death of Charlie Kirk—his entire life’s work—cannot help but evoke the deepest respect. His stand against retreat and decline, against what our Orthodox elder Father John (Krestiankin) once called “the march of the destroyer,” proved, despite the confessional differences, to be strikingly resonant for many of us.
+Metropolitan Tikhon of Simferopol and Crimea
Charlie Kirk, in his own words:
I’m nothing without Jesus. I’m a sinner. I fall incredibly short of the glory of God. We all do. I gave my life to the Lord in fifth grade, and it’s the most important decision I’ve ever made, and everything I do incorporates Jesus Christ.
Destin’s Memorial Reef Stands Apart Amid Global Tributes
Communities around the world have launched a range of memorials to honor Charlie Kirk, from statues on campuses to proposed coins and street-renaming efforts. In Florida, plans are underway to erect statues of Kirk on public grounds. In Utah, a fundraising campaign is underway to establish a memorial on the Utah Valley University campus, where he was fatally shot. Meanwhile, efforts to erect a Kirk statue in the U.S. Capitol have also emerged, backed by members of Congress.
NFL teams across the country have observed moments of silence before games to mark his passing, while vigils, candlelight services and campus gatherings have also become common.
These memorials share one common trait: they are static, symbolic structures on land. Destin’s approach, by contrast, aims to be dynamic and life-giving.
A Charlie Kirk Memorial Reef will be constructed at Walter Marine in Orange Beach, Ala., and later deployed about two miles off Henderson Beach. Construction is scheduled to begin Oct. 14 — Kirk’s birthday — and local organizers are raising $17,000 to fund materials, engineering and deployment.
When completed, the reef will stand 15 to 18 feet tall and weigh over 15 tons, making it far larger than typical memorial reefs, which often reach only around 8 feet in height. It will be inscribed with Kirk’s name, the Turning Point USA logo and additional dedications.
Led by Capt. Mike Parker—founder of the Destin High School fishing class who launched the memorial reef idea—the project seeks to honor Kirk in a distinctly local, aquatic way. The reef will not only commemorate his life, but also serve as a functional marine structure, enhancing habitat and biodiversity.
By combining ecological value with remembrance, the Destin reef stands apart from more conventional memorials — a submerged monument intended to live and grow, not merely to be viewed.
