Kimmel’s Choice
By Tom Gilbreath
Since that awful day when an assassin shot Charlie Kirk, amazing things have happened — things most of us could not have foreseen. The act of remembering Charlie pointed people to Jesus in countless ways. It all came to a head during the memorial service when Charlie’s widow, Erika, said, “That man… that young man… I forgive him.”
Tim Allen wrote on X, “That moment deeply affected me. I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my Dad. I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’”
An ex-Muslim woman raised in Iran, Sana Ebrahimi, wrote on X about the service. “In Islam, even though we believe that good people go to heaven, the relationship with God is taught through fear. Funerals are overwhelmingly sad, often filled with warnings of the terrifying first night in the grave. Growing up hearing that, and then witnessing people celebrate life, speak of God’s love, and remember someone through the impact he had on others; it felt so refreshing, so positive.”
She wrote specifically about Erika Kirk’s forgiveness of her husband’s murderer. Sana ended her remarkable post by saying, “I am ignorant when it comes to Christianity, but if this is what it truly embodies, then I am envious of those who get to experience that feeling.” May remembering this service spur her and others to investigate Christianity. From the Bible they will learn that Jesus offers grace, joy, and freedom to all.
After Disney/ABC’s brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, he came back on the air to the largest audience his late-night show ever had. He didn’t apologize for lying about the politics of the young man who shot Charlie, and he took pot shots at political adversaries. But he also said this. “There was a moment over the weekend, a very beautiful moment. I don’t know if you saw this on Sunday. Erica Kirk forgave the man who shot her husband. She forgave him. That is an example we should follow. If you believe in the teachings of Jesus as I do — there it was. That’s it. A selfless act of grace, forgiveness from a grieving widow. It touched me deeply, and I hope it touches many. And if there’s anything we should take from this tragedy to carry forward, I hope it can be that.”
To say you “believe in the teachings of Jesus” does not mean you believe in Jesus and certainly does not mean that you have committed your life to Him. But I hope hearing those words caused many to consider the Lord’s actual teachings. Some may wonder what the essence of that teaching is. You could say “love,” “peace,” or “forgiveness,” and you would be close. But if you really want the essence of His teachings, it is this — Himself.
“I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6). That’s about Him. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). That’s also about Him. In Matthew 11:28-30, Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” That’s about you. And it’s about me. But mostly, it’s about Him.
When people say they believe the teachings of Jesus, they usually mean a set of vague ideas they picked up over the years. If they’re thinking of specifics, it is usually something like Matthew 5:44. “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
Even these beautiful, straightforward moral commands are about Him. It’s about Him because it gives us a glimpse of how far we fall short of God’s goodness and, therefore, of our need for a Savior. It’s about Him because, without Him, we’re helpless to do what He says or what we know in our hearts we should do. It’s about Him because we fail, but He saves.
