It’s been a month since the shocking assassination of Charlie Kirk, and America is still trying to make sense of it. To millions, Kirk was a fearless conservative leader who stood boldly for faith, freedom and truth. But those who knew him best say his mission went far deeper than politics—he was a devoted follower of Jesus Christ whose life, and now death, are stirring something profound across this nation.
Evangelist Mario Murillo, my guest on The Strang Report podcast, put it plainly: “Charlie Kirk was killed because he was effective.” Murillo believes Kirk’s assassination is more than a national tragedy—it’s a spiritual wake-up call. “If he’s a martyr,” Murillo says, “then he was killed not for his politics, but for his Christian faith. He stood for biblical truth, and that’s what made him dangerous to the darkness.”
A Spiritual Battle for America
Murillo compared America’s current moment to Abraham Lincoln’s “House Divided” speech. “Half of America was for slavery, half against. Lincoln said the nation couldn’t survive divided—and that’s where we are now,” Murillo says. “We are witnessing two worldviews colliding. One believes in God, life and moral order. The other embraces confusion, abortion and globalism. This is a cultural civil war—and Charlie stood right in the middle of it.”
To many, Kirk represented a generation unafraid to challenge the lies of our time. And his boldness, Murillo says, has lit a fire in young people who are now searching for something real.
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Revival Among Gen Z
In the weeks after Kirk’s death, spontaneous gatherings began erupting across college campuses and city centers. Tens of thousands of young people prayed, worshiped and gave their lives to Christ. Videos of these scenes have flooded social media, crowds singing “Way Maker” on their knees, young men and women weeping as they’re baptized in public fountains.
At a recent vigil in Orlando, thousands filled the streets to honor Kirk’s life. When an altar call was given, hundreds responded to receive Jesus. “Christianity became something worth dying for,” Murillo told me. “For years, churches tried to make the Gospel easy and comfortable. But this generation doesn’t want comfort—they want conviction. They want truth. And they’re running toward it.”
What’s happening looks strikingly similar to the Jesus Movement of the late 1960s and ’70s, when revival swept across a nation in chaos. Then, it was the hippies who found Jesus. Now, it’s Gen Z—the so-called “lost generation”—that’s turning back to God.
“God Is Doing This One Himself”
Murillo believes this move of God is different from anything we’ve seen before. “It’s not being led by celebrity preachers or political campaigns,” he says. “God is saying, ‘I’m going to do this one Myself.’ He’s using young people who are willing to lay down their lives for truth.”
And the fruit is already visible. Murillo shared that over 130,000 students have requested to start new Turning Point USA Faith chapters on campuses including at some of America’s most liberal universities. “If even a fraction of those groups take root, it will change the culture of our nation,” he said. “This isn’t just political, it’s spiritual revival.”
A Challenge to the Church
Murillo also gave a sobering warning to pastors who have chosen silence on cultural issues. “The myth that the church shouldn’t get political is cowardice dressed up as wisdom,” he says. “Look at Daniel, Esther and Moses. Every one of them confronted corrupt leaders. Silence in the face of evil is not neutrality; it’s complicity.”
He quoted the story of Esther: “Mordecai told her, ‘Don’t think you’ll escape in the king’s palace.’ Safety isn’t found in compromise—it’s found in obedience.”
It’s a message America’s pastors need to hear. The church was never meant to blend into culture but to confront it with the truth of God’s Word.
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Out of Tragedy, Awakening
Charlie Kirk’s death is heartbreaking. But out of tragedy, something powerful is emerging—a generation awakening to the reality of God’s power and the cost of following Christ. Across the nation, voices are rising, hearts are being stirred and faith is being reborn.
As Murillo prayed at the end of our interview, “Lord, raise up a new breed of believers, bold, unafraid and filled with fire. Let the blood of the martyr spark revival.”
History shows that revival always begins in the ashes of crisis. Perhaps this is one of those moments.
Charlie Kirk may be gone, but the fire he helped ignite is just beginning to burn. And maybe, just maybe, America’s next Jesus Revolution has already begun.
Stephen Strang has seen major changes in the church, the culture and technology since he founded Charisma magazine in 1975. In addition to being CEO of Charisma Media, he hosts a Strang Report podcast live on YouTube and Rumble at 4 p.m. EST every Tuesday and Thursday. His important recent book Spirit-Led Living in an Upside-World is available wherever fine Christian books are sold d including online at amazon.com.
