Perhaps you’ve heard them too, the whispered rumours of a quiet revival which is seeing younger people in particular attending church in increasing numbers and reading the Bible far more than they ever did before.
Why though might this be?
Well one possibility is that this generation has grown cynical of a world in which it’s not just supposedly true memoirs which turn out to be full of lies – so too it appears, are the statements made by our political leaders who, despite their constant promises to bring about change for the better, repeatedly fail to do so.
Add to that the consequences of war, environmental issues and financial insecurity, and perhaps it’s easy to see how today’s younger people are like the disciples who on the first Good Friday were similarly disillusioned, having seen the one they’d genuinely believed would make things better get crucified. For had another so called messiah appeared on the scene that day, promising them a better tomorrow, they too would probably have rolled their eyes in disbelief at what they were being told.
So then, just as today’s Gen Z’s are in search of something different, so too were the disciples. But for those first century followers of Jesus, something different is exactly what then took place
When we think of power, we tend to focus on the ability some people have to inflict their will on others, the strength of military might, and the impotence of those who find themselves standing in its way. But there is another way to think of power.
Consider the power to repair, like that of the surgeon whose meticulous attention to detail can knit back together what has previously been torn apart; think of the power to restore, like that of those with the practical skills necessary to put back in place all that has recently been torn down; and think of the power to reconcile, like that of those with the wisdom and sensitivity to speak the well chosen words required to sweeten the most soured relationships.
Think of the power of love that counters brute strength with gentleness and, even in the face of hate, continues still to be kind.
That was the power that was on display on that first Easter Day. When Jesus exploded back to life, a power was released that was infinitely greater than even the twelve GBU-57A/B MOP bombs that America dropped on the Fordow facility in Iran last month. But unlike their ability to only destroy, the power of Christ’s resurrection was one that was wholly creative.
And it’s a power that continues unstoppable today – a power that, having been released, can’t help but bring about what the one behind it desires.
Furthermore it’s the power we all need to see on display today, be we Generation X, Millennials, or Baby Boomers. Because it’s what unites us all – the need for an infinite and creative force for good.
One which, today, some, including Gen Z’s, are rightly looking to find in Christianity.
Some musings 