Mass demonstrations, riots in the streets, attacks on the police, police brutality, a President at war with the press, domestic terrorism, cities in flames, etc. Last week’s news about the tragic death of George Floyd? No. I am talking about what happened fifty years ago. In the years 1968 to 1974 the United States was in chaos. Thousands were in the streets and on college campuses protesting the Vietnam War, drug abuse was rampant, people rioted in cities such as Los Angeles and Detroit, and fire bombs were set off in various places around the country. Two prominent Americans were assassinated (Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy). If you are under sixty years old, you don’t remember any of those events. It was a time of crisis in this land. The present seems like bad déjà vu. Perhaps the one thing that was not present then was a worldwide pandemic.
Eventually, it all settled down. The Vietnam War ended, the President resigned, and the cities became relatively peaceful again. By the mid-seventies things were a lot calmer. One good thing did emerge out of all the chaos: the Jesus Movement. Beginning about 1968, thousands of young Americans turned to Christ to find real peace in the midst of the turmoil. On high school and college campuses, parallel to much of the unrest, was a powerful movement of God’s Spirit. I myself accepted Christ in late 1968. It was a genuine spiritual awakening. Evangelistic zeal was contagious.
The amazing thing was that the movement was very diverse. It was not just one group, denomination, or organization that flourished. From button-downed Baptists, to former hippy “Jesus Freaks,” to scruffy motor cycle gangs, to charismatic Catholics, people found a unity in Christ. Some critics called it a fad, and maybe to some extent it was. But I do believe it effected the lives of millions of Americans (and beyond, as many “Jesus People,” as they were called, volunteered for missions).
Unfortunately, when the national troubles calmed, the spiritual exuberance eventually waned. So also did its long-term effects on the country’s life. Sad to say, Naturalism regained momentum and the culture continued its moral decline. Behaviors that were regarded as abhorrent in the 1960s and 70s are now acceptable and legal. Abortion, sexual immorality, homosexuality, alcohol and drug abuse, are part and parcel of American society. This is reflected especially in the entertainment industry. Television and movies glorify violence and depravity.
Let’s face it, things are not good. So, can we expect something like the Jesus Movement happening again in the wake of our current difficulties? Perhaps, but I don’t see any real indications of a Christian awaking among young people. In fact, the decline of those claiming to be Christian is alarming. In any case, we need to pray fervently that God will bring peace and a true revival to our land.