By JON FAULKNER
The murder of Charlie Kirk is impacting a generation of young Americans. Could we be witnessing the cusp of a post-COVID revival of faith in God?
If Riley Nye of Juneau has anything to say about it, the answer is yes.
He writes to Must Read Alaska that he is seriously motivated, “to pick up the torch, and set up shop at the university to start having conversations with the college kids. I hope that anyone that wants to do such a thing will step forward with all boldness and haste, because that’s what Charlie Kirk did, and that’s what this country needs.”
He’s not the only young man who believes this and is energized in a profound and convincing way.
Spokesperson for Turning Point USA, Andrew Kolvet, said interest in the organization has surged. Kolvet said that they have received more than 37,000 inquiries from people wanting to start new campus chapters.
Riley’s hometown is Juneau, Alaska, where he has lived for the last 20-plus years. He is highly educated, holding a Bachelor of Liberal Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies, majoring in political science and English from UAS in Juneau, also politically engaged as a legislative aide for Representative Mike Prax, of District 33 in North Pole. Riley emphasized that his interview and letter to MRAK represents his personal views and not those of his employer, and that he is not seeking public office.
Riley Nye describes himself as “deeply disturbed and saddened by the assassination of a great man who was the embodiment of the American spirit, a man who stood for independent thinking, free speech, and a love for our Heavenly Father and Lord Jesus Christ.”
The wider message he wants all Americans to know is that we should reject and abhor political violence “because it goes against the principles God has set forth in His Word, and it goes against the principles that our nation was founded upon.”
He quoted Romans 12:20-21 “If thine enemy hungers feed him, if he thirsts, give him drink, for in so doing thou shalt reap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
What makes Riley’s message urgent and compelling is that it appears to be playing out in just this manner across America, and yet it is not widely covered by mainstream news. Riley is absolutely convinced that America is about to witness a global resurgence of faith in action “on a grand scale.” Charlie Kirk’s voice and legacy, he insists, “cannot be silenced because we are all Charlie Kirks.”
Riley concludes with a sense of mission to Americans: “I beseech you to set aside your worldly inclinations towards revenge and instead to look towards the will of our Father.”
He issued prayers for the Kirk family and the country.
America, it appears, is waking up.
Jon Faulkner is the president of Alaska Gold Communications, the parent company of Must Read Alaska.
I have a young friend who felt compelled to do a Mormon mission for two years. He witnessed to hundreds, if not thousands of people during that time, with a focus on kids in his age group. When I asked him to honestly tell me how many of them he “converted”, he said the number was “probably” one. That’s a pretty low rate of return on his investment, and a sure indication of the Internet Generation’s appetite for religion.
Amen. Praying for awakening for those wandering in darkness. Praying for the safety of those with the courage to openly speak truth and hope.
Pick up your cross and carry on! leave your troubles at its feet.
Pretty decent piece Faulkner. Maybe there is hope for MRAK. But you gotta get content from sources other than the people who are on your Board and serve at your pleasure. And please, stop labeling them as senior contributors. When someone has their first or even a few initial pieces published they are not Senior Contributors. They are guests.Please don’t let your ego drive your content. Readers see right through that.