I went to see The #JesusRevolutionMovie tonight, and it was so well done. Kelsey Grammer was spectacular playing Pastor Chuck Smith. I cried more than once at the pure love and joy that came through the dialogue. I am struck at the timing of the movie in light of a fresh wave of revival among our youth in the middle of an increasingly turbulent world.
As an adolescent growing up at Lake Tahoe, I remember when “the hippies” first started coming to our little First Baptist Church.
They were part of the Jesus Movement. Their music, dress, and ways marked differences from what the church folk were used to. My parents didn’t know what to do with them, and I remember hearing the discussions with some of the other old-timers.
But given a little time, the love won them over. Our pastor eventually wore puka beads and sandals. We moved to guitars and hand-claps instead of an organ.
These revolutionaries changed our little church and eventually would change fellowships worldwide. Walk into just about any non-mainstream church today and see this movement’s impact. The music is modern. The preaching is relevant. We welcome the hurting, the broken. The movement turned into a revolution that turned into the modern Christian life.
Time for a new revolution
But it’s time for a new movement, a fresh wave of revival. The hippies are now old men. The flame is growing dim. There is a new set of problems facing our world and it’s not the old beatnics who are leading the change – it’s our young people, fired up. They are praying. They are boldly standing for righteousness.
The #JesusRevolution is still there. Ignore those who want to politicize our faith or those who want to use the fringe to broad-brush our simple message of love and personal renewal.
And I wonder about the timing of this movie, obviously planned months and even years in advance. Who could have known it would come on the heels of the #asburyrevival2023 — a very similar movement spurred by young people who are looking for meaning, for truth in very uncertain times.
World. I’m not giving up on you because God’s not done yet.
Let the Revolution Roll On!
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