What began as a gathering to grieve and celebrate the life of Charlie Kirk quickly turned into a night of worshipping Jesus, hope, and forgiveness.

There’s something undeniable happening in response to his death. In the days after September 10th, many churches across the country saw more people coming through their doors, because their hearts were heavy.

This memorial wasn’t about politics. It was about worshipping the Lord. It was about forgiveness. And it was about thousands of voices lifting high the name of Jesus.

Chris Tomlin

Chris Tomlin opened the service with songs like How Great Is Our God and Holy Forever. Later, he reflected on what it meant to witness Erika Kirk forgive her husband’s killer:

“You can preach all you want, but when you see something like that, when you see the true essence of the Spirit of God in somebody, that can only comes from Him. That kind of forgiveness can only come from somebody who really walks with God.” | Chris Tomlin

Brandon Lake

Brandon Lake’s moment came when he led Gratitude. With tens of thousands of people singing along, it was less a performance and more a wave of surrender.

He admitted the tragedy shook him deeply, but also fueled his faith:

“I have felt two things: one, immediate fear. But then I have felt God remove that fear with His love and give me confidence and a renewed confidence and a surety that … I do believe this and I will represent this and share the Gospel, no matter the cost.” | Brandon Lake

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Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes

Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes led The Blessing, a song that felt tailor-made for this moment. As voices filled the stadium, it was like the words of Numbers 6, “The Lord bless you and keep you,” were being prayed over every hurting person there.

Kari reminded the crowd:

“We need our land healed, amen? We need our country healed.” | Kari Jobe

Cody added words of challenge and hope:

“Let us grieve the evil … and as we grieve, sow those seeds of love that snuff it out.” | Cody Carnes

Phil Wickham

Phil Wickham’s heart for the Kirk family was clear. He posted:

“My heart is grieved and heavy. It’s difficult to process the horrific evil, hatred and violence that we have seen in our country… I pray God’s hand of comfort and peace and nearness over Charlie Kirk’s family and loved ones. That in the brokenness of their hearts God would draw near.” | Phil Wickham

Erika Kirk | “I Forgive Him”

One of the most powerful moments of the entire service came not from a worship artist, but from Charlie’s wife, Erika. Standing in front of a stadium of 100,000 people and thousands more watching online, she said these words:

“That young man … I forgive him. I forgive him because it was what Christ did, and is what Charlie would do. The answer to hate is not hate. The answer we know from the gospel is love and always love. Love for our enemies and love for those who persecute us.” | Erika Kirk

@tbn_official “I forgive him.” – Mrs. Erika Kirk Watch the full “Charlie Kirk Memorial: Building a Legacy” now on the TBN+ app📲 #erikakirk ♬ original sound – TBN

Those words echoed Jesus’ own: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

Whether or not you followed Charlie Kirk, this service was a reminder: grief has a way of breaking us open, and worship has a way of reminding us that God is still good.

3 Songs Christian Artists in Response to Charlie Kirk’s Death