This past weekend, thousands gathered to honor the life of Charlie Kirk. The arena that usually echoed with football cheers was transformed into a sanctuary filled with worship and prayer. Spotlights that once lit up a field instead illuminated faces lifted in song, and the air carried the sound of praise rising from every corner. Yet more than the setting, it was Charlie’s mission that filled the atmosphere. His life’s work was clear: saving the next generation and restoring the American family. That vision shaped every word spoken, every prayer lifted, and every tribute offered in his memory.

From that sacred atmosphere, Erika Kirk stepped forward to speak. Her voice carried both sorrow and strength as she addressed the crowd. And then came the words that stilled the stadium.

When she said, “I forgive him,” a hush settled over the arena. Erika was speaking of the man who had taken her husband’s life. In that moment she did not excuse the sin or dismiss the pain. Her words were born of her faith in Christ, the One who forgives. Forgiveness was not about freeing the guilty. It was about refusing to let hatred take root in her heart, entrusting justice to God, and choosing mercy when anger would have been easier.

Her choice reminded us of something essential to the Christian life. Christianity is not about perfection. It is not about pretending we never struggle with anger, grief, or doubt. It is about grace, about receiving what we could never earn, and extending it to others even when it feels impossible. Forgiveness is the evidence of that grace, proof that God’s strength can carry us when our own strength runs out. And it is this same grace that forms strong families and shapes the next generation.

This was Charlie’s life’s work. He often said, “God, family, country—in that order.” He believed the future of America depended on faith-filled families, strong marriages, and young people rising above the noise of culture to follow Christ. His vision was not about politics but about legacy. Charlie wanted to be remembered for his faith, for living what he preached, and for pointing the next generation to Christ.

Now, in his absence, Erika’s act of forgiveness has become an extension of that mission. Her words embodied what Charlie proclaimed: that real strength is not found in anger, but in surrender to Christ. That grace, when embraced, can ripple outward to restore families, renew communities, and heal a nation.

That mission echoes in my own home. Gavin, Belle, Spencer, and Maddox each carry a piece of my heart as they step into a world that will test their faith. My prayer is that they will rise as young Christians and future leaders who are not afraid to stand for truth.

For Gavin, Spencer, Maddox, and my son-in-law Michael, my prayer is that they will walk as men of God. May their courage be gentle, their strength merciful, and their leadership rooted in love. May their homes be places of refuge, where faith is lived out in quiet consistency and where their children grow secure in the knowledge of God’s truth.

For my daughter Belle, my daughters-in-law May and Carlee, and the woman who will one day take Maddox’s hand, my prayer is that they will be women of virtue and grace. May their devotion steady their homes, their faith anchor their marriages, and their love shape generations to come. May they bring warmth and wisdom into every season, and may their marriages reflect the beauty of Christ and His Church.

And for all of them together, may their lives intertwine as testimonies of God’s goodness. May their households stand as beacons of faith, mercy, and hope in a world that is desperate for light.

My hope does not end with my children. It stretches to the next generation as a whole. I pray for young men and women across this nation who are searching for meaning in the midst of constant noise and distraction. I pray they will discover that their identity is not found in culture but in Christ. I hope they will choose faith over fear, conviction over compromise, and courage over apathy. I pray they will learn the power of forgiveness, and carry grace into their families and communities. As Charlie believed, strong families will restore our nation, and faithful young people will carry that renewal forward. If we want to preserve the heart of America, we must plant seeds of faith in its sons and daughters and trust God to bring the harvest.

Forgiveness and faith are not abstract ideas. They are choices lived out in real time, choices that can save a generation. My prayer is that my children, and the families they will one day raise, will carry that truth forward. Because the hope of tomorrow will not be built through anger or division. It will come through forgiveness, through conviction, and through lives surrendered to Christ.

This is how we honor Charlie, not only in memory but in mission. By forgiving as Erika forgave. By living as Charlie lived. And by leaving behind a legacy of faith that points every son and daughter toward the saving grace of Christ, so the next generation will rise strong in truth and unshaken in hope.

“Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” — Ephesians 4:32