Charlie Kirk: Thoughts and Tribute
On the Cost of Conviction and the Power of Purpose
Hey, Isaac here. I want to start with a quick note before diving into today’s newsletter.
We haven’t posted as much over the past week, and I owe you an explanation. The truth is, we were shaken by recent events and needed some time to process - both personally and as a team - to get clear on our direction for the coming year.
Dalton Howell and I sat down for a long call to talk about what we want this publication to become. Unrealized Purpose has always been about sharing reflections and lessons on purpose, but we realized it was time to dial in further: to define our mission more sharply and to clarify how we want to show up online.
We’re excited to move forward. In fact, over the coming months you’ll see us posting even more consistently. We’ve also been brainstorming ways to add more value for our subscribers - things like new free resources and tools beyond the weekly newsletter. Those details are coming soon, and I can’t wait to share them with you.
But for now, let’s dive into today’s piece.
I understand this email may cost us some subscribers - and that’s okay. Some things need to be said. Unrealized Purpose will not stay silent.
We’ve taken time to gather our thoughts on the recent events, and I’m grateful you’re here to read them. So here we go.
Thoughts on Charlie Kirk’s Passing by Isaac Wooden
What happened in Utah last week shook me to my core.
When I first heard the news that Charlie Kirk had been shot, it felt like a gut punch.
No matter your opinion of him - whether you agreed with his principles or not - violence is not the answer.
This happened in America, a nation where freedom of speech is foundational. Charlie’s work, his debates, and his convictions were rooted in exercising that right. He didn’t commit a crime. He shared opinions, challenged others, and tried to find common ground.
And for that, he was silenced.
He wasn’t silenced with a gun in his hand but rather a microphone.
Our words are powerful and he was proof of that.
The Character Revealed in Death
What has unsettled me even more than the act itself are the reactions.
Scrolling through social media, I saw people celebrating his death. Cheering. Mocking. Saying he deserved it.
How we respond to someone’s passing - especially someone we disagreed with - says everything about our character.
Dostoevsky once wrote, “Above all, don’t lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point where he cannot distinguish the truth within him.” How people justify cheering death shows more about them than about the man they’re mocking.
I saw comparisons online between Charlie Kirk and Martin Luther King Jr. Both men were shot for speaking out. Whether or not you agreed with either one, what they stood for mattered. Both used their voices to challenge culture and point toward a better way.
That is what free speech is supposed to be about.
To see violence condoned against someone for exercising that right is deeply disheartening.
Passing the Torch
Over the last few days, I’ve been thinking about what it means to carry the torch forward.
Many online have said Charlie’s death has emboldened them to speak out. And maybe that’s one of the lessons here: courage is contagious.
Not everyone will feel called to engage in politics. But every one of us has the ability - and the responsibility - to speak truth, to spread encouragement, and to help shift mindsets at the core.
That’s why Unrealized Purpose exists.
Our mission has always been to help people find their purpose by lifting burdens from others. Purpose isn’t about selfish gain; it’s about the responsibility you take on for the good of others. As Viktor Frankl reminded us, “Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.”
Charlie lived with a clear purpose: to reach the youth of America, to call them back to common sense, to remind them of values worth standing on. His purpose was obvious.
What about yours?
A Call to Action
This moment is a reminder: life is fragile, time is short, and silence is costly.
So I’ll ask you - what is the one thing you’ve been carrying in your mind but haven’t acted on?
What conviction have you been too afraid to speak out about?
What dream have you shelved because you fear judgment or think you lack time?
Take action. Today.
Your purpose doesn’t just affect you. It impacts the people around you. It creates ripples - positive ones - that help others see a better way, live a better life, and take courage in their own journey.
As Milan Kundera put it, “The heaviest burden is therefore simultaneously life’s most intense fulfillment. The heavier the burden, the closer our lives come to the earth, the more real and truthful they become.”
Unrealized Purpose will not stay quiet. We will keep writing. We will keep encouraging. We will keep calling people higher, toward a life of purpose, responsibility, and fulfillment.
Because if this past week has shown us anything, it’s that there’s no better time than now.
Charlie Kirk: The Courageous Man of the Faith
A Tribute to Charlie Kirk by Dalton Howell
What is it that makes a man?
What is it that makes a man of Faith?
What is it that makes a man of Courage?
I want you to look back at these questions and realize I put “a man of courage” and not “a courageous man.” What is the difference here? The difference is that a courageous man is momentary, but a man of courage is constant - always in the same state. This was Charlie, a man of constant courage.
Courage is not just about being fearless; it’s about trusting God enough to move forward even when fear is real. It’s not the absence of fear - it’s choosing courage in faith over fear. Charlie Kirk knew there were people trying to kill him for his beliefs, but he continued on anyway.
A courageous man might act brave today and fearful tomorrow, but a man of courage is one whose life is consistently shaped by God’s Spirit, making him stand firm regardless of the moment.
Scripture says:
For God hath not given us a spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own Purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began.
2 Timothy 1:7-9
Charlie Kirk was a man who did not let the spirit of fear, shame, or afflictions interfere with the purpose God had for his life.
What is Faith - and how do I get it?
The etymological definition of faith is trust or confidence. To put faith into something means you put your trust and confidence in it. Today, faith is mostly used by Christians to declare that they put their trust and confidence in Christ.
Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
Hebrews 11:1
Charlie Kirk was a man who put his faith in Jesus Christ. Courage for your faith means standing firm in what you believe about God (and in tears I write this part), even when it costs you something - whether comfort, reputation, or safety.
For Charlie, it was his life, and he is now a martyr.
For Erika, she lost a husband and best friend.
For their children, they lost their dad - their superhero.
Charlie was obedient despite fear, held to truth under pressure, and kept trusting in God’s promises. Courage for your faith is fueled by belief that God is sovereign, good, and faithful.
Back to the three questions at the beginning:
What is it that makes a man?
Simple: God created man and woman. You can only be one, and it is the gender He gave you before you were conceived.
Psalm 139:14 speaks to how God made you - with awe, reverence, and intentional design.
Genesis 1:27 speaks to what you are - a bearer of God’s image, created to reflect Him.
YOU ARE FEARFULLY AND WONDERFULLY MADE IN THE IMAGE OF GOD.
You do not need to try and change it.
Fearfully = with reverence, awe, and divine care.
Wonderfully = set apart, extraordinary, made with intentionality.
Purpose and Eternity
Unrealized Purpose’s goal is to help you find meaning in this life. And the greatest purpose we can point you to is the one God has for you. He wants you to accept His Son Jesus Christ into your heart. God sent His Son to die on the cross, shed His blood, and rise from the grave - conquering death - so that all you have to do is put your trust in Him.
When you do, He gives you His Spirit - the same Spirit that empowers courage, carries us through life, and gives us a purpose far greater than anything we could imagine for ourselves. Charlie Kirk placed his trust in Him, and that is why he had the impact he did on this world. That impact continues, because when you choose God’s purpose, it is no longer temporary - it is eternal.
Charlie Kirk’s legacy will never die, because the purpose he chose was eternal.
In less than two hours, Charlie Kirk went viral in the media. But the truth is, Charlie was already viral in the hearts of many across the world.
A Word of Warning
It disgusts me that when Charlie Kirk - the Courageous in the Faith - died, greed struck many evil hearts. Ads for clothes. People saying, “I lost followers, so follow me, I want to be your friend.” Complete garbage.
I’m not saying you cannot make a video and say you’re grieving. But do not use his death to grow your social media account. Do not use his death to fill your pocketbook.
We will call you out on it.
For me, I will only purchase from TPUSA directly and no other. As a salesman, I am disgusted.
This is not a time for profit. This is a time for purpose. Use this opportunity to share what Charlie meant to you, to glorify God, and to take action on the burden that now must be carried.
For all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.
Romans 8:28
Charlie Kirk’s purpose was eternal. His courage was constant. His faith was anchored. And his impact is not over - it is only beginning.
The question now is this:
Will you live as a courageous man for a moment, or as a man of courage for a lifetime?
More to come:
A few months ago, we recorded a podcast talking about Charlie Kirk and who he was. At that time we didn’t realize the breadth of impact he had or would have. In honor of his memory we decided to link it here: