Charlie Kirk, 31, observed the Jewish Sabbath. It was a little detail buried near the bottom of one of the many profiles published since news broke that the conservative leader was killed on Wednesday. Every week from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, Kirk would turn off his phone, spend time with his wife and children, and rest.

I found this surprising — he was an outspoken evangelical Christian. I also found it unexpectedly moving. This famous Christian figure shared in the precious ritual that Jews like me all over the world have practiced for centuries. I found a video of him explaining why he was drawn to Sabbath; he was even writing a book, set to come out this December, on why he felt observing it was so transformative.

As we all refreshed and scrolled on our phones waiting impatiently for updates — as I write this, the shooter remains at large — I encountered a torrent of Kirk’s most inflammatory statements. I also saw stirring defenses of him from his political allies, friends, and followers.

But when I thought about his wife losing her husband, and his two children losing their father, those contradictions felt considerably less........

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