A few days have now passed since the Charlie Kirk Memorial. Charlie was a friend, and I was deeply honored to be asked to sing The National Anthem as part of the tribute to his life and work.

Charlie and I first met in 2020 and exchanged contact information. From time to time, I would send him a word of encouragement by text. Sometimes he would respond, other times he was simply too busy—but I still treasure those brief connections. I continue to reflect on Charlie’s last text to me, which included a verse of Scripture:

The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you with his love; he will exult over you with loud singing. –Zephaniah 3:17

The memorial itself included political reflections, but what struck me most was the powerful and unmistakable presentation of the Gospel—shared boldly by Pastor Rob McCoy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Charlie’s widow, Erika. If you have not seen their remarks, I encourage you to seek them out.

Some viewed Charlie as brash or even rude. I knew him differently. He was gracious, yet unafraid to speak the truth and step courageously into difficult places.

As I sang, a calmness came over me—not only to honor Charlie and our nation, but above all to give glory to God. To view my performance of The National Anthem, click on this link.

I thank God for the life and witness of Charlie Kirk. My prayer is that I might live with the same boldness and courage to speak truth into the darkness.

God bless.

Steve