By Daryl Groves |

I had the privilege of attending Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, seated not far from the stage. To say that it was “moving”, would be an enormous understatement.  Nearly 100,000 gathered in Arizona to grieve the loss of a husband, friend, and Christian leader who was gunned down in cold blood. The speeches were heartfelt. The tributes were moving. But the moment that shook the arena came when Erika Kirk, through tears, stood and forgave her husband’s killer.

The cameras captured her words — “I forgive him” — and then panned to the crowd. In that instant, as Erika spoke the hardest words a widow could speak and the audience along with millions of people watching online, witnessed a miracle of grace. (watch: Erika forgives Charlie’s murderer)

She went on to say: “Because that is what Christ did and what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love”.

Forgiveness in the Heart, Justice in the Courts

This is where many stumble and could fall into a ditch on either side of the road. Forgiveness, especially in the wake of horrendous crime, is often misunderstood. People confuse forgiveness in the heart with the duties of the civil magistrate. Some imagine that forgiveness means the courts should show leniency, or that the murderer should go free. Others, on the opposite extreme, think forgiveness is weak and that personal vengeance would be a fitting response to such evil. 

The truth of Scripture is a narrow road between them.

• In the heart, the Christian lays down vengeance, refuses to be mastered by bitterness, and prays for the offender to repent and be reconciled to God.
• In the state, the magistrate must still do its God-given duty (Romans 13:4, 1 Peter 2:14) to punish evil proportionately and protect the innocent.

To collapse these callings into one is to miss God’s design. Magistrates are not commanded to forgive instead of punishing. And individuals are forbidden from taking vengeance into their own hands. Erika’s testimony showed the balance: forgiveness from the heart, while leaving justice to God and His appointed servants.

A Public Witness

When Erika forgave, she was not excusing the crime, nor was she calling for the courts to drop their duty. She was releasing vengeance into God’s hands while pointing to the cross of Christ, where all true forgiveness begins. It was not weakness. It was strength clothed in tears.

Fernando Rangel, a friend and member of our organization, was in the audience. The cameras caught him rising to his feet, emotion in his eyes as he applauded Erika’s words. As we rode home together that evening, he said, “That moment was the highlight of the entire memorial service.”

And it wasn’t only Erika. One after another, speakers pointed to Christ and the Bible that day — including members of the President’s cabinet. Fernando summed it up well: “I think we just witnessed something historical.”

As we reflected on that moment, we agreed that Erika’s forgiveness embodied the two greatest commandments — loving God by obeying His Word, and loving neighbor by pointing to the gospel. Her words reminded us why our organization has partnered with TPUSA Faith and TP Action: to impact the culture by pointing to Christ, while also urging lawmakers to uphold justice and protect the innocent. On that day, both truths stood side by side.

Erika’s act matters not just personally, but nationally. At a time when even Congress could not unite even to honor a slain American — Republicans voting unanimously YES, while 58 Democrats voted NO, and dozens more avoided making a choice — Erika’s testimony lifted the conversation above partisanship and into eternal truth.

The Hardest Thing

Ultimately, forgiveness requires a miracle. By nature, we want revenge. By instinct, we want the offender to hurt as much as we hurt. Erika’s words were not natural; they were supernatural. It is highly likely that the hardest thing she’s ever had to do was trust God in this tragic situation. But she knows that God will work all things together for good to those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Forgiveness does not mean justice will not be done. Forgiveness means Erika refuses to let hatred master her heart. It means she entrusts vengeance to God, justice to the courts, and her husband’s legacy to Christ. 

The Way Forward

America must learn again the difference between vengeance and justice, between forgiveness and excusing evil. If magistrates “forgive” by refusing to punish, they become unjust. If individuals take vengeance into their own hands, they usurp God’s role. But when a Christian forgives from the heart while still affirming the need for justice, the world sees something entirely different: God’s law and gospel on display.

Charlie Kirk spent his life calling people to truth and liberty. At his memorial, Erika Kirk showed the world the deepest truth and the highest liberty: the freedom of a heart released from vengeance because Christ has forgiven her.

In that moment, America witnessed something greater than politics — the power of the gospel to free sinners, heal wounds, and keep a soul anchored even in unspeakable loss.

Daryl Groves is the Vice President of Red State Reform.