Thomas Griffin 9/22/25
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In light of the deadly shooting during Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis last month and since the assassination of Charlie Kirk this September, the topic of faith, and in particular the religion of Christianity, has been heavily referenced and reported on. Many know of the infamous words of Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey against prayer as well as many other political figures noting the same sentiments. The mainstream media, social media personalities and countless opinion articles have also noted the strong faith of Kirk which could be easily seen in his words on his podcast and at college campuses around the country.
In remarks only two days following the murder of Kirk, his wife spoke on Turning Point’s platform stating that his faith was the defining aspect of his life. There was nothing more important to him than proclaiming Jesus Christ and talking about the importance of religion. Erika Kirk pleaded with listeners to join a church if they are currently not a part of one. She consistently referenced quotes from the Bible and spoke as if Charlie was still alive. At his memorial service on September 21st, she publicly forgave the man who shot and killed her husband.
To many, her words might sound irrational. Perhaps, some might claim, she is in denial from the level of grief that she is experiencing. Many in America don’t understand what faith in general, or Christianity in particular, are. We can struggle to find the words to define either one. Many neglect to practice any religion because they misunderstand what faith is in the first place.
Faith is not blind trust, nor is it belief in something in the absence of evidence, as Neil de Grasse Tyson once claimed. Faith is not a commitment to ignorance, nor is it an attempt to escape the hardships of life by convincing oneself that there is an all-perfect and loving being that cares about me (as Richard Dawkins once claimed).
To understand the faith of the devout Christian we must explain what religion truly is and how Christianity is unique to all other religions. The word religion comes from the Latin word religare which means “to bind together.” The claim of those who have deep faith is that God has tied Himself to His creation. In a unique and intimate way, the God of the universe binds Himself to each and every human person because he or she is made in God’s image and likeness.
Faith then, is not a matter of mere trust. It is also not a blind following of rules set out by those who crafted a certain religion. Christians hold to the claim that faith is, most definitively, a relationship. To be a believer in Christ is not to simply know his teachings, follow what he said or go to worship on Sundays. All those who take their faith seriously claim to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
In their daily time of prayer, they speak to him and listen to his words. They ask him to look after their loved ones and they lean on surrendering their lives to him. They ask him for strength in their suffering and trials, knowing that his experience of the cross is ever-present to them. Christians seek to place Jesus at the center of their lives because the only One that can fulfill the infinite longings of the human heart is the One who has no beginning and no end.
That is why Erika Kirk said that Charlie “loves” his country, not that he “loved” his country.” He “loves” Jesus because it is our faith which tells us that Jesus’ conquering of the grave opened up a pathway for us to live in communion with him for eternity. That is not a stance of blindness, it is a claim that is rooted in the historicity of the resurrection. It is a historical fact that Jesus’ tomb was found empty on the third day after his death. It is indisputable fact that his best friends, and hundreds of others, claimed to have seen Jesus after his crucifixion.
It was these eyewitnesses who wrote about their experience of Jesus’ miracles and teachings. These same men were also killed for their testimony concerning his resurrection and his divine identity. This truth is the reason why Christianity is not blind trust. It is rational assent to the profound evidence concerning the historical person of Jesus who claimed to be God and proved his divinity through his miracles and resurrection.
As the news of Charlie Kirk continues to own the news cycle, let us deeply reflect on how we view these bold claims of the Christian faith. Because Jesus is either God or he isn’t. He either rose from the dead or he didn’t. If he did, then Christianity is worth dying for, but even more importantly, it is worth living for. That is the faith that we are invited to enter more deeply into each day – it is the call to an everlasting relationship that can’t be defeated by anything, not even death.
Thomas Griffin is the chairperson of the religion department at a Catholic high school on Long Island where he lives with his wife and children. He has a masters degree in theology and is a masters candidate in philosophy. Thomas is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Empty Tomb Project: The Magazine. He is the author of Let Us Begin: Saint Francis’s Way of Becoming Like Christ and Renewing the World.
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