Erika Kirk’s moving speech inspired Tim Allen to forgive his father’s killer
Actor and comedian Tim Allen said Erika Kirk’s powerful message during the recent memorial service for her husband inspired him to likewise forgive the man who killed his father.
“When Erika Kirk spoke the words on the man who killed her husband, ‘That man… that young man… I forgive him,’ that moment deeply affected me,” Allen posted on social media, according to “Crosswalk Headlines.” “I have struggled for over 60 years to forgive the man who killed my dad. I will say those words now as I type: ‘I forgive the man who killed my father.’ Peace be with you all.”
His father was killed in 1964 by a drunk driver when Allen was 11. Allen’s post has gone viral, with 280,000 likes, 29,000 retweets and more than eight million views. It also has sparked an online conversation about Christianity and forgiveness, with 11,000 comments.
“I admit I have always struggled with the turn-the-cheek, forgive-my-enemies part,” one person wrote. “Jesus forgave me for so much, how could I then turn around and refuse to forgive someone else?”
Others emphasized that forgiveness doesn’t mean turning a blind eye to wrongdoing but reflects Christ’s mercy while trusting him to bring true justice. “Mercy and justice are two different things,” a fan wrote. “Have mercy, and let Christ serve justice.”
READ: Tavia Hunt Honors Charlie Kirk’s Christian Legacy
Some fans even said Allen had inspired them to also forgive past wrongs.
“I have struggled for 42 years to forgive the man who killed my grandmother,” one person wrote. “I will say these words with tears forming in my eyes and my heart pounding as I type, ‘I forgive the man who killed my grandmother.’ Peace be with you.”
Allen recently shared on social media that he is diving into the Bible, reading it from cover to cover for the first time. In June he wrote, “Finished the Old Testament and it is such a gift when I get out of the way and the words and meaning flow. This week I am now in the book of the gospel of Paul. A Roman Jew familiar with Plato, stoicism and other Greek schools of thought. I am amazed in seven pages!”
-Lee Hartman | Metro Voice
