Introduction
I’ll try to keep this one short, if not sweet. Ever since the martyrdom of Charlie Kirk, Erika Kirk has had eyes all over her. But they are not tearful eyes of pity, weeping with those who weep. They are eyes that bulge under the flexing eyelids of pixel addicts who mistake current events for excitement in their own lives.
I’m not referring to the radical leftists acting as Tyler Robinson’s cheerleaders, but rather something disappointing in the true sense of betraying rational expectations. Those who claimed to admire Charlie Kirk, or at least to be on his side, are revealing that the entertainment they got out of his content was far from respect. Now that his widow is unshielded by her faithful husband, as if by compulsion, they have seized the opportunity to throw mud and eggs at her for casual sport.
The closest thing to a charitable assessment of their behavior would be to view them as scared and broken by the death of their hero, which could leave them hurt and confused if his widow’s grief does not appear to be in sync with their own. But even this becomes a base display of selfishness if expressed in the form of a public attack. Mrs. Kirk is not responsible to help the rest of us cope with her husband’s death.
I believe the reasons behind the insolence coming from men and women, respectively, are both straightforward and obvious. I would never want Mrs. Kirk to have to read an article like this; but then again, I never wanted her to have to go through the things it addresses. The only way to deal with this problem effectively is to say a few things out loud.
SOUR GRAPES
Ladies first. At the age of 30, Erika Kirk was an exceptionally productive single woman. She was developing the clothing line Proclaim365, which sells Christian themed clothing items and donates one to the homeless for every purchase. After she married a man known in the gates, she prioritized caring for her household, but continued to sell fine linens and good merchandise while extending her hand to the needy.
Sound familiar? That’s right: Erika Kirk is the ultimate Proverbs 31 woman. So why would conservative Christian housewives storm social media and attack her for letting money pass through her hands? Case in point: Lior T. Neace. The YouTube channel Joel & Lior is a manosphere phenomenon that panders to both Christianity and Judaism. Its theology is an article or three for another time, but its hyper-patriarchal theatrics are of particular relevance here.
Mrs. Neace, who thinks she’s so feminine, took on the tone of a brawler to break a verbal cocktail glass over Mrs. Kirk’s head. She called Mrs. Kirk a bimbo, named her the face of feminism, accused her faking her sorrow, and responded to her forgiveness with “wtf.” See the link below for a full screenshot and a briefing on how I obtained it.
Why do I make an example out of Mrs. Neace? Because she has a position of influence and is one of the most extreme cases among many women following this pattern. I believe the photogenic housewives on this bandwagon are jealous of Mrs. Kirk’s true Biblical femininity.
Mrs. Kirk did not eat the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27) or use her domestic hours to be loud and rebellious in the open square of social media (Proverbs 7:11-12). The women attacking her are starting to realize that their femininity is either incomplete or outright false, always searching for bigger head coverings when what they really need is a mouth covering. The tragic revelation is this: their contentment is so small that they have to envy a woman whose husband was just murdered.
Mark 4:25
For whoever has, to him more will be given; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him.”
THE LEECH AND HIS PATIENT
Ephesians 5:3
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints;
Covetousness has many DBAs, and its favorite among men is lust. Erika Kirk is a beautiful woman getting attention, and there’s nothing that triggers bitter men quite like this. No matter how many times they chant “we are all Charlie,” they know they could never get a woman like he got.
They also know they have no right to scan a woman’s body with lustful eyes, but if they think she hugged the vice president in a questionable manner, they can pretend they have that license. After all, they suppose, someone needs to take those few moments and analyze every physical detail. It may as well be them. They have nothing better to do.
I’m not applying this to the folks who just thought, “huh, that was an odd hug,” and then moved on with their lives. I’m speaking directly to the men who thought it was worth any amount of their time to comment. If you wrote articles or social media posts sexualizing it, whether by suggestion or accusation, you’re not fooling anyone. You’re telling the world that you’re a pervert, you’re telling all the ladies to run far away from you, and you’re telling God that He needs to put you through more trials.
“Lust hath these three companions: the first, blindness of understanding; the second, hardness of heart; the third, want of grace.” – Basil of Caesarea
“JESUS DEFEATED DEATH SO YOU CAN LIVE”
If you are a jealous woman or lustful man, there is forgiveness and freedom in Christ. The problems you’ve made up are not going to be solved by Mrs. Kirk, because you’ll never be pleased with her. Nor are they going to be solved by you, because no amount of vindictive foolishness can bring you peace.
The moral obligation here comes in three steps. First, take your eyes off Erika Kirk. They don’t belong there. Second, put your eyes on yourself, take an honest look at your sin, and consider what it’s done to yourself and others. Third, put your eyes on Christ and repent. Charlie Kirk’s martyrdom has brought pain and dysfunction to all of us; but what is meant for evil, God means for good (Genesis 50:20). You just focus on not being one of the people who means it for evil. Side with Christ and His bride, and do so by finding fullness in Him.
FootnoteExodus 22:22-24
You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry; and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.