Lance Wallnau Responds to the Shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University
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Lance Wallnau Responds to the Shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University
Lance Wallnau addresses the nation following reports of Charlie Kirk being shot at Utah Valley University. In this raw and pastoral message, Wallnau walks listeners through the initial shock, the stages of grief, and the biblical framework for understanding persecution in times of cultural reformation. Drawing parallels to the martyrdom of Stephen in Acts, Wallnau calls for the movement to respond not with violence or despair, but with renewed courage and multiplication. He emphasizes that real spiritual warfare has costly casualties, yet believes this moment will ignite a new generation of bold voices on college campuses across America.
There are certain moments in history that stop time. Every generation has them—moments where you remember exactly where you were and what you were doing. For some, it was the assassination of John F. Kennedy. For others, it was the space shuttle disaster or 9/11. These events intersect us at a deep emotional and mental level, leaving an indelible mark on our collective memory.
For many in the conservative Christian movement, especially those who follow Charlie Kirk's work with young people, today is one of those moments. When news broke that Charlie Kirk had been shot at Utah Valley University, and later reports suggested he had passed, the shock reverberated through the community. Lance Wallnau, a prominent voice in the faith and cultural movements, felt a responsibility to come back on the air to help people process what was happening.
Understanding Grief Without Misunderstanding What Happened
Wallnau recalled his friend Mark Chirona's words after 9/11: "Make sure that you understand what happened, but don't misunderstand what happened. Don't make something out of it that isn't true." In moments of crisis, it's easy to let fear, anger, or confusion distort our perception of reality and our response.
Charlie Kirk was unique in his ability to bridge multiple worlds. As one person observed, he fused the communication style of Rush Limbaugh with the spiritual passion of Billy Graham. He could speak to the conservative movement, engage critics spontaneously on college campuses, and infuse biblical worldview into every conversation. His courage and clarity made him a voice for an entire generation—young couples, families, students seeking truth in hostile academic environments.
The Stages of Grief and the Danger of Rage
Wallnau's colleague Mercedes reminded him that people would go through the classic stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and eventually acceptance. The initial response is often disbelief—"I just can't believe it." Then comes anger, which Wallnau warned must be handled with great care.
"Our movement can certainly at some point feel like we are so beaten on, so persecuted, so hunted, so misrepresented," Wallnau said. He pointed to irresponsible commentary from outlets like MSNBC, which he said were already blaming Kirk for his own shooting by accusing him of "hate speech." Such rhetoric, Wallnau warned, can have a detrimental triggering effect on people who are barely maintaining their composure.
"We have to pray for the hand of God on this moment to arrest any kind of retaliation or revenge," Wallnau urged. He recalled a personal story from high school—his best friend's father had committed suicide after the Kennedy assassination, overwhelmed by a spirit of grief. Depression and self-destructive responses are real dangers in moments like these.
The Cost of Real Warfare
Wallnau reminded his audience that the movement they are part of is not a game. "Real warfare has costly casualties," he said. The Bible says that "precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints." That word "precious" means it costs something. When a saint of Charlie Kirk's caliber is taken, it is costly—not just emotionally, but spiritually and culturally.
"We don't have that many Charlie Kirks out there that have the youth, the energy, the clarity, the courage, the cognitive capacity to bridge two worlds at one time," Wallnau said. Kirk represented young couples, advocated for families and children, and influenced an entire generation with courage and grace.
The Biblical Parallel: Stephen's Martyrdom
To help his audience process the event through a biblical lens, Wallnau turned to the story of Stephen in Acts 6 and 7. Stephen was a young man, roughly Charlie Kirk's age, with similar gifting. He was "full of grace and power" and argued daily with those who opposed him. Yet his opponents "were unable to cope with the wisdom and the spirit with which he was speaking."
Frustrated, they secretly induced false witnesses to accuse Stephen of blasphemy and hate speech—charges eerily similar to what the modern left levels against Kirk. They dragged Stephen before the council, where he gave a powerful defense of the faith. His argument was so pointed, exposing the hypocrisy of his accusers, that they were "cut to the quick" and began gnashing their teeth.
Filled with the Holy Spirit, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, with Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father—standing, Wallnau noted, to receive him. As they stoned him to death, Stephen prayed, "Lord, lay not this sin to their charge."
Wallnau noted that Charlie Kirk had been shot while defending Christianity and discussing issues of violence at Utah Valley University, with some 2,000 students present. "He was shot by a deranged person who had been programmed to hate him because he was seen as an enemy," Wallnau said.
The Aftermath: Persecution and Multiplication
After Stephen's death, a great persecution broke out against the early church. Yet the Bible records something unexpected: "Those who had been scattered abroad went preaching the word." Philip went to Samaria and turned a city upside down. Persecution did not end the movement—it multiplied it.
"I can tell you this with confidence," Wallnau declared. "God is using his death in a way that will plant the seeds for other Charlie Kirks and other young women and men to multiply and rise up in his place. This will not be the end of the movement. It will not be overpowered by violence. It will not resort to violence. It will double in strength, I predict, and new voices will arise."
Wallnau believes that new voices will emerge—voices that before were not heard—who will derive inspiration from this moment and speak with even greater courage. Students will have something not only to believe in and to live for, but if necessary, to die for.
The Divine Irony: Saul Becomes Paul
One of the most striking aspects of Stephen's story is what happened next. Saul, who was present at Stephen's death and approved of it, later became the Apostle Paul—arguably the most influential figure in Christian history after Jesus himself.
Wallnau suggested a divine irony: "I would love to see some radical, articulate, brainwashed leftist youth that is celebrating this right now get knocked down by the Holy Ghost and meet Jesus and rise up like Saul." He believes Stephen's prayer—"God forgive them"—would have been Charlie's prayer as well.
"Every now and then God says that's going to cost you," Wallnau said of the devil's schemes. He believes Trump's two near-assassinations were Satan's attempts that God vetoed, resulting in four years of a "wrecking ball" presidency. Similarly, he believes Charlie Kirk's death will cost the enemy dearly, sparking a new reformation on college campuses.
Grieving With Hope
Wallnau emphasized that it is appropriate to grieve—even the early church made "loud lamentation" over Stephen. "We feel as humans the loss of someone that precious, that beautiful, that courageous, that irreplaceable, and indispensable as Charlie Kirk."
But Christians do not grieve as others who have no hope. "We believe that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord," Wallnau said, quoting the Apostle Paul. "Our eternal soul lasts a lot longer than this momentary life which is but a vapor."
A Call to Reformation
Wallnau believes America is in the midst of a reformation, not just a revival. Revivals stir up religious opposition, but reformations shake principalities and powers in the mountains of culture—government, education, media, and more.
"The education mountain right now is experiencing a shaking," Wallnau said. "I pray they are shaken and shaken until it's impossible for conservatives to have to hide any longer on a college campus with government funding. May this turn into a reformation on the campuses of America because the next generation of young people that are rising up cannot be living under the propaganda that is operating there."
The Shooter Still at Large
At the time of Wallnau's message, reports were conflicting. Some suggested an older man had been apprehended in the crowd; others said the shooter was still at large and may have fired from a rooftop. Wallnau called for prayer that the shooter would be apprehended alive and brought to justice.
Picking Up the Torch
Wallnau closed with a prayer for Erika Kirk, Charlie's wife, for his team at Turning Point USA, and for his family. He prayed that God would raise up new voices—"some Sauls into Pauls and some Philips for Samaria"—and that a scattering of the fire of God would light new fires across the nation.
"May the education mountain come tumbling down in radical reformation as you raise up bold professors and campus apologists who are articulate, filled with the same spirit," Wallnau prayed. He asked for young men and women with the same spirit Stephen had—"that no one was able to resist him for they could not resist or cope with the wisdom and the spirit behind him."
His final message to his audience was clear: "I don't want you not to have hope or to think this is some strange thing that the Bible doesn't ever cover. The Bible covers all of life in Jesus' name."
